


lifeline

by punyparker



Series: Iron Mom and her Spider-son [4]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), Spider-Man - All Media Types
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Emotional Manipulation, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Female Tony Stark, Multi, Not Captain America: Civil War (Movie) Compliant, Not Spider-Man: Homecoming Compliant, Pepper's a good friend, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Poor Peter Parker, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Protective Tony Stark, Rape/Non-con Elements, Sexual Abuse, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony is Iron Maiden, after ca:cw but tony never took peter to germany, bad May Parker, more tags to come, she just offered him an actual internship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-24
Updated: 2020-01-20
Packaged: 2020-08-23 10:01:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 7
Words: 30,614
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20241001
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/punyparker/pseuds/punyparker
Summary: Peter had become an expert at hiding. Hiding, hiding his feelings, hiding his home life, hiding the bruises, hiding the pain. He always hid. Peter didn’t know what it was about the situation that made the confession come out of him so easily. He must’ve been tired of hiding, he must’ve melted into the comfort of someone actually being concerned for his well-being.  All he knew was that the pleading look on Ned’s face made him fold and confess what had been happening to him faster than he’d ever imagined he would.----The first chapter is two snippets of the first full chapter that I will post once it's ready. if it feels like scenes are missing, it's because there are. I chose two chunks of the current draft of the first chapter and stuck them into one for the preview.





	1. preview

**Author's Note:**

> this work obviously deals with sexual abuse of a minor so if you're averse to that, please click away. this work will not suit your needs and I recommend you find an alternative, for your own well-being.
> 
> this is my first time writing about something like this. I'm writing from my own personal experiences and, as usual, projecting onto a character and giving them a better outcome than I ever got. this work is pretty therapeutic for me, so if you don't like it... that's fine.
> 
> anyway, hope you enjoy.

Peter was still shaking in his seat, his hand desperately clutching to Ned’s much larger one. He’s refused to let go of Ned since right before they left his house. The other boy has easily taken to rubbing comforting circles onto Peter’s knuckles with his thumb.

Peter’s eyes still had a constant flow of tears emanating from them. He hasn’t been able to look Ned or Mrs. Leeds in the eye since he told his secret. Now, the three sat in an office, talking to a detective or cop. Which it was, Peter couldn’t care to remember. 

“And that’s all he told you?” The man grumbled, looking up from the notes he had been taking as Ned and his mom had explained.

“Yeah, he’s been pretty hysterical so it’s been hard to get much else out of him,” Mrs. Leeds nodded.

Peter hadn’t meant to tell his best friend the biggest secret of his entire life, really, he hadn’t. It was something he tried his hardest to not to even think about it when he was with Ned. He never wanted to give in to the perpetual misery that his secret brought him. He wanted time spent with his friends, with the people that made him feel safe, to make him feel good and happy; so his secret had to be kept far away from those parts of his life.

But Ned had seen the marks. Peter had become an expert at hiding. Hiding, hiding his feelings, hiding his home life, hiding the bruises, hiding the pain. He always hid. Peter didn’t know what it was about the situation that made the confession come out of him so easily. He must’ve been tired of hiding, he must’ve melted into the comfort of someone actually being concerned for his well-being. All he knew was that the pleading look on Ned’s face made him fold and confess what had been happening to him faster than he’d ever imagined he would. 

He never even dreamt, in a perfect world, that he’d unburden himself to Ned and to law enforcement. Peter imagined that maybe, one day, he’d tell Ms. Stark. That she’d save him. That she’d take him away from his life of pain. That she’d protect him like the superhero she was. Iron Maiden or not, Tony Stark was Peter’s hero. 

Without the suit, she was still the mentor that picked him up from school, made sure he was eating enough, made sure he had his jacket on colder nights home and made sure he was safe. Well, as safe as she knew of, anyway.

* * *

The gruffy man detective/officer from earlier barked into the phone, “This is Officer Derrick Hoffman, I’m with the Queen’s Police Department. Who am I speaking with?”

Tony was silent on the end of the line for a second, completely taken aback by the man

“Is this some kind of prank? Where’s Peter?” She began, her voice laced with a tinge of irritation.

“Ma’am, I can tell you everything about Peter’s condition right now if you tell me who you are,” Officer Hoffman said with a huff.

“You called me!” Tony snapped, her heart now racing at the man’s words, “What do you mean ‘Peter’s condition?’ What happened?”

“Ma’am, come down to the station on 222nd with valid government-issued identification and I’ll be able to give you all the information you need.” Officer Hoffman grumbled before hanging up and shoving the device into the center of Ned’s chest before brushing past the teen, making his way over towards Peter.

Peter was tightly curled up in a ball and laid on his side, tightly clutching his midsection and hugging himself snuggly. Tears were dried on his face but his teeth were chattering as his body shook with fear and anxiety.

“Peter,” The officer said calmly, “We called someone and she’s coming for you, son. If you feel safe enough with her and I can verify her identity, you can go home with her tonight. Her and I will discuss any arrangements for you staying with her for a prolonged period once she gets here, okay?”

“Msstrk?” Peter slurred, not even turning to face the man despite how desperate he was to know whether or not Tony was coming for him.


	2. one

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the beginning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter contains a scene of graphic non-consensual sexual acts including a minor, the beginning and end of that scene will be marked with asterisks (***). So you will be able to skip the scene without missing the rest of the chapter.

Peter was still shaking in his seat, his hand desperately clutching to Ned’s much larger one. He’s refused to let go of Ned since right before they left his house. The other boy has easily taken to rubbing comforting circles onto Peter’s knuckles with his thumb.

Peter’s eyes still had a constant flow of tears emanating from them. He hasn’t been able to look Ned or Mrs. Leeds in the eye since he told his secret. Now, the three sat in an office, talking to a detective or cop. Which it was, Peter couldn’t care to remember. 

“And that’s all he told you?” The man grumbled, looking up from the notes he had been taking as Ned and his mom had explained the situation.

“Yeah, he’s been pretty hysterical so it’s been hard to get much else out of him,” Mrs. Leeds nodded.

Peter hadn’t meant to tell his best friend the biggest secret of his entire life, really, he hadn’t. It was something he tried his hardest to not to even think about it when he was with Ned. He never wanted to give in to the perpetual misery that his secret brought him. He wanted time spent with his friends, with the people that made him feel safe, to make him feel good and happy; so his secret had to be kept far away from those parts of his life.

But Ned had seen the marks. Peter had become an expert at hiding. Hiding, hiding his feelings, hiding his home life, hiding the bruises, hiding the pain. He always hid. Peter didn’t know what it was about the situation that made the confession come out of him so easily. He must’ve been tired of hiding, he must’ve melted into the comfort of someone actually being concerned for his well-being. All he knew was that the pleading look on Ned’s face made him fold and confess what had been happening to him faster than he’d ever imagined he would.

He never even dreamt, in a perfect world, that he’d unburden himself to Ned and to law enforcement. Peter imagined that maybe, one day, he’d tell Ms. Stark. That she’d save him. That she’d take him away from his life of pain. That she’d protect him like the superhero she was. Iron Maiden or not, Tony Stark was Peter’s hero. 

Without the suit, she was still the mentor that picked him up from school, made sure he was eating enough, made sure he had his jacket on colder nights home and made sure he was safe. Well, as safe as she knew of, anyway. 

Tony didn’t have a single clue to what May had been doing to him, she couldn’t have. Peter was exceptional at playing the part of lovable introvert that geeked out around those he was comfortable with2. He never acted the part of a lifelong sexual abuse victim. 

Peter didn’t want anyone, Tony especially, seeing him like that. He had to be strong. Peter figured, perhaps, that’s what drove him to so easily tell Ned what was going on at home. He was tired. He was tired of lying, of being strong. He just wanted to be a normal kid that felt safe at home. A normal kid that didn’t have to triple or quadruple check to see if his door was locked before using the bathroom. A normal kid that didn’t opt-out of showering for days at a time in fear of being exposed at all, even if just to himself. Peter  figured hoped that telling someone what was going on, that things would change. He lived in fear of what would happen to him once he left May's apartment for good, he feared where he'd end up. All he could ever dream of was Ms. Stark being there for him, even as juvenile and delusional that fantasy might have been.

“How long has this been going on, Peter?” The man asked, pushing his round-framed glasses up higher onto his nose.

Peter just shuttered a breath and shrugged his shoulders.

“Just today? A few days? Few months? Few years? I need more information if you want my help, kid.”

“Forever,” Peter gasped out, his voice barely above a whisper.

“Forever? What does that mean?” The man furrowed his brow at the boy.

“Since forever,” Ned interpreted, looking to Peter for confirmation. Peter nodded.

“Do you remember how old you were the first time it happened?” The man asked, scribbling something else down onto the notepad.

Peter shook his head, “Always.”

“No, she’s always done it.” Ned interpreted once again. He was trying his hardest to be solid and strong for Peter, but hearing all of this from his best friend was extremely difficult for him. 

He didn’t know anyone that had gone through anything similar to what Peter had gone through. He was shocked down to his core when the words left Peter’s lips with an obvious struggle.

_ “May touches me.” _

Since before he’s known him, Peter had been getting molested by his aunt. He had to swallow the lump growing in his throat to keep himself from breaking. Ned gave Peter’s hand a light squeeze to ground himself, to feel his best friend. Peter’s hand didn’t squeeze back. 

“Okay,” The man nodded, looking over at his desktop screen for a moment before turning to Ned’s mom.

“Mrs. Leeds, I cannot let this boy go home to his aunt with a clear conscience. I can have him placed into an emergency foster home for tonight and maybe the next few days before we can proceed with this investigation. We have someone headed to his apartment right now to speak to and possibly collect his aunt.”

“I can take him for the night,” Ned’s mom chimed in, to the relief of her son sat beside her.

“I’m sorry, ma’am. We cannot just hand him over, he’s a child. He needs to be in the custody of someone that’ll take care of him.”

Peter visibly tensed, his spine shooting up in a pin-straight position. His mind brought him back to why he waited so long to tell anyone what May had been doing to him.

_ **** _

_ May hummed as she ran her fingers across his clothed chest. Tears burned at his eyes and rolled down the sides of his face. He tried gasping for air but as she pushed her weight onto his stomach, he couldn’t seem to take a single breath. _

_ “Just you and me,” May chuckled darkly, “Forever.” _

_ “No no no no —” Peter sobbed, clawing at her hands on his shoulders. The boy frantically shook his head and tried to plead continuously but his throat was being clogged with emotion and phlegm from continuous sobbing. _

_ “You’ll never leave me,” She smirked, planting a light kiss to the corner of the boy’s mouth, “You’re too scared.” _

_ “No no no no —” Peter gasped, his legs kicking from in between May as she was still straddling him, “Off.” _

_ May chuckled again, finding pleasure in seeing the boy cry and squirm underneath her. She threaded her fingers through his curls and left another kiss on his lips. _

_ Peter whipped his head to the side, no longer giving her direct access to his mouth. His hands continued to push up, attempting to get her off of him.  _

_ “If you tell anyone, or leave…” May began grinding her hips down onto the boy with a sigh, “Then they’re gonna take you and put you away.” _

_ “And if you think you have it bad now,” May shook her head, halting her movements to rip the boy’s shorts off, “Just imagine what those men will do to you.” _

_ Peter froze, going completely still at his aunt’s words. May just whipped his boxers off and began to stroke him slowly. Peter felt like his skin was on fire. He felt like his flesh was melting off of his bones. He hated the heat, the friction. He wanted to dive into an ice bath and rinse away the horrible feeling that lingered even after her skin left his. _

_ May giggled at the boy’s pathetic reaction and pulled up the hem of Peter’s sweatshirt, “They’ll do so much worse. They won't play with you like I do.” _

_ With a sick smile, she began peppering kisses down Peter’s exposed navel, “They won’t even care to make you feel good like I do.” _

_ Peter wanted to vomit. Feel good? He hated every second of what his aunt did to him. He hated every glance, every kiss, every touch, every stroke, every moment.  _

_ “They’ll just spread you open,” She continued, grabbing his right leg by his calf and swinging it up to rest and hook over her shoulder, “No warning, no preparation.” _

_ Before Peter could even think to take another breath, he felt his aunt plunge two dry fingers into him. He yelped and squirmed under her. _

_ “No no no —” Peter’s begging released the floodgates for even more tears to run down his face as snot bubbled up under his nose. _

_ May ruthlessly worked her fingers in and out of the boy, relishing in the sight of him being absolutely destroyed. _

_ “S-Stop!” Peter gasped, weakly smacking his hands on her chest, “Pl-lease! St-Stop!” _

_ His body racked with sobs as he tried to push his aunt off of him. _

_ May quickly pulled her fingers out of the boy and leaned over to give him a firm smack to his face. _

_ “You take what I give you for granted, young man,” The woman spat in his face, “And I won’t tolerate any more of that. I know plenty of men who would pay good money to absolutely wreck you. But I’m being kind enough and keeping you to myself. So what do you say?” _

_ Peter tried to catch his breath, tried to purge the pain from his chest, tried to feel anything other than the overwhelming dread that paralyzed his entire being. _

_ “Th-thank you” Peter sobbed, reaching a hand up to wipe his nose with his sleeve. _

_ May smiled and planted one last kiss to the boy’s cheek, “That’s right.” _

_ **** _

“No! No no no no,” Peter stood up instantly, ripping his hand from Ned’s grasp. 

“Peter? What’s wrong?” Ned asked and stood up beside his best friend. Peter just looked at the man behind the desk and shook his head.

“No no no no,” The boy begged, frantically walking backward to quickly get away from the man and tripping over his chair in the process. Peter landed on his butt and instantly began to scoot himself back towards the door they came in from, his eyes not leaving the man.

“Easy now,” The man stood up and held his hand out, “What’s the matter, son?”

“Don’t!” Peter sobbed, “Please!”

“Don’t what?” The man asked softly, not wanting to work the traumatized boy up any further.

“Bad men,” Peter shook his head so quickly it looked like it could’ve just fallen off right from his shoulders, “Please don’t.”

“What bad men?” Mrs. Leeds asked as she turned to Peter with a concerned look on her face.

“They take me,” Peter gasped for air. He tried catching his breath as his heart pounded in his chest and tears and snot ran down his face, “They hurt me too.”

“What are you talking about, dude?” Ned asked, his heart racing at the sudden outburst.

“May said,” Peter pulled his knees up under his chin and rocked himself back and forth on the floor, “They take me and hurt me too.”

“Hey, now,” The man said, both of his hands up in surrender, “We’re not going to put you anywhere with anyone that’s gonna hurtcha. I promise you.”

“NO!” Peter screeched.

“Are you sure he can’t stay with us for the night?” Mrs. Leeds looked to the man pleadingly, wanting her son’s friend to calm down.

“NO!” Peter screamed again, pulling himself onto his feet and hauling himself out of the office.

“Peter!” Ned called as he chased after the other teen.

As Ned rounded the corner after Peter, he heard the other boy scream again.

“NO!” Peter yelled, frantically attempting to escape the grasp of a female officer that held him tightly in her arms, “STOP!!”

“Peter!” Ned called again, stumbling over.

“Peter,” Ned struggled to keep calm as Peter violently thrashed within the officer’s grasp, “Peter, it’s okay. No one’s going to hurt you. I won’t let them, buddy.”

“No,” Peter sobbed, his movements becoming stuttered and weak, “No no no—”

“Peter,” Ned repeated with a pleading tone, “You’re okay, Peter.”

In an instant, Peter deflated. His knees wobbled before giving out underneath him. His body toppled onto the floor in a heap as the officer released her grip on him. 

Peter began to wail loudly. His sobs racked his entire body. He was crying so hard and so loudly, Ned began to fear that he wasn’t even breathing.

“Peter,” Ned said softly, tears finally forming in his eyes as he slowly sunk down to his knees in front of the sobbing figure.

“What do you need me to do, Peter?” Ned begged as he wasn’t sure how much more of this he could stomach.

“Mmm,” Peter sobbed, “M-mmm.”

“What is it, Peter?” Ned asked.

“Mmmsstrk,” Was all Peter could manage to articulate as his throat was being blocked by fear, pain, and tears.

“Ms. Stark?” Ned repeated loudly, excited at the idea of a solution for his best friend.

Peter began to nod his head up and down quickly, “Mssstark.”

Ned nodded and turned to his mother who had followed the two out of the office, “We need to call Ms. Stark.”

“Stark?” The man from earlier asked.

Mrs. Leeds nodded, “Peter is Tony Stark’s personal intern, he spends a lot of time with her during the week.”

“Wait,” The man chuckled, “Tony Stark? Stark Industries, Tony Stark? Iron Maiden, Tony Stark? Head of a tech conglomerate, Tony Stark? You’re saying this boy has a personal connection to Tony Freaking Stark?”

“Yes,” Mrs. Leeds huffed in frustration, “And we need to call her now. She seems to be the only one that can get Peter to calm down.”

“You want us to call Tony Stark and ask her to pick up this random kid? You surely must be joking.”

“He’s not just some random kid,” Ned bit out, standing to face the man, “She knows him. She cares about him. If you call her and tell her he needs her, she’ll be here.”

“How the hell am I supposed to get ahold of Tony freaking Stark?” The man glared at the boy.

“Peter has her number!” Ned exclaimed, turning to the boy that was now curled up in a ball on the floor. The female officer from before was knelt in front of him, attempting to calm him down.

“Peter, where’s your phone?” Ned asked, turning Peter over to face him.

Peter looked up at Ned with glossy eyes, his mouth slightly parted as he huffed air into his lungs.

“P’ckt,” Peter exhaled and wrapped his arms around his middle, fumbling with the front pocket on his sweatshirt.

Ned knelt down in front of Peter and reached into his sweatshirt pocket to grab his phone.

“No!” Peter shoved Ned’s hands back and frantically inched himself away from his friend, “No no,”

“Peter, I’m sorry,” Ned gasped, falling back onto his butt in shock at Peter’s explosive reaction, “I just- We need to call Ms. Stark.”

“N-No,” Peter shook his head and curled tighter into himself, “No touching.”

“Okay,” Ned nodded, “No touching. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to.”

Peter huffed out a few deep breaths and whipped his phone out of his pocket. The device clattered onto the floor and slid towards Ned.

“Okay, I’m gonna call her. She’ll come and get you, okay?”

“O-okay,” Peter sobbed, “Hurry.”

“I will,” Ned nodded, “I’ll hurry.”

Ned unlocks Peter’s phone and digs through it until he’s staring down at Tony Stark’s contact.

He took a deep breath before tapping the phone icon and put the device to his ear, hearing it ring.

On what felt like what would be the last ring, the woman picked up.

“Hey, Pete. What’s up?”

“Ms. Stark, This is an associate of Peter Parker,” Ned rambled nervously.

“Ned, you do know that you can drop the theatrics with me, right?”

“I’m sorry, ma’am. I just—” As Ned began to even attempt to explain the situation with Peter, the cell phone was snatched from his hand.

The gruffy man detective/officer from earlier barked into the phone, “This is Officer Derrick Hoffman, I’m with the Queen’s Police Department. Who am I speaking with?”

Tony was silent on the end of the line for a second, completely taken aback by the man.

“Is this some kind of prank? Where’s Peter?” She began, her voice laced with a tinge of irritation.

“Ma’am, I can tell you everything about Peter’s condition right now if you tell me who you are,” Officer Hoffman said with a huff.

“You called me!” Tony snapped, her heart now racing at the man’s words, “What do you mean ‘Peter’s condition?’ What happened?”

“Ma’am, come down to the station on 222nd with valid government-issued identification and I’ll be able to give you all the information you need.” Officer Hoffman grumbled before hanging up and shoving the device into the center of Ned’s chest before brushing past the teen, making his way over towards Peter.

Peter was tightly curled up in a ball and laid on his side, tightly clutching his midsection and hugging himself snuggly. Tears were dried on his face but his teeth were chattering as his body shook with fear and anxiety.

“Peter,” The officer said calmly, “We called someone and she’s coming for you, son. If you feel safe enough with her and I can verify her identity, you can go home with her tonight. Her and I will discuss any arrangements for you staying with her for a prolonged period once she gets here, okay?”

“Msstrk?” Peter slurred, not even turning to face the man despite how desperate he was to know whether or not Tony was coming for him.

Officer Hoffman sighed, the man was at a loss for what to say. He didn’t want to provoke the boy and send him into another fit of wailing, but he truly did not know who he had just spoken to on the phone, so he couldn’t promise Peter anything.

As he opened his mouth to reply, a commotion came from the lobby of the police station and made its way into the room they currently occupied.

“Where is he? Peter Parker, is he okay?” Tony surveyed the room for her mentee, her face softening as her eyes landed on the small teen on the floor, his body being swallowed by the oversized hoodie he was currently wearing.

The faculty in the office were stunned. Tony freaking Stark was in their precinct, for a seemingly random boy there with his friend to report a prolonged history of sexual abuse. It was clear how she got to the station so quickly, as an Iron Maiden suit followed the woman, clearly ready to protect and/or attack.

“Oh, Peter!” Tony gasped and quickly walked over to the boy and crouched down in front of him. Tony was in the lab when she got the call, so she was dressed in a worn old Metallica t-shirt and Adidas track pants. Her hair was tied back in a tight ponytail and her fringe was feathered expertly to fall tastefully above her eyes.

“Msstrk!” Peter moaned and flopped onto his back as his arms reached up at the woman before him, his fingers curling into his palms repeatedly as he made grabby hands towards the genius.

“I’m here, Pete,” Tony said softly, instantly picking up the distressed teen and wrapping her arms around him, “I’m here, you’re okay.”

Peter just whimpered and cried quietly into Tony’s shoulder. As the tears clouded his vision, he rubbed his face onto her shirt near her collarbone to rid himself of the shame.

“You’re okay,” Tony continued to softly rub comforting hand up and down the boy’s back. Tony, surprisingly, wasn’t new to the whole comforting a child thing. The many times Peter had stayed at the tower overnight often contained Tony coddling the boy until he was able to calm down. Whether it be his own trauma as an abuse survivor, untreated mental illness, his proclivity to letting his mind slip into the state of a much younger boy whenever he was around Ms. Stark, or just plain nightmares, it was commonplace for Tony to just hold him while he cried. The genius began to ache for hugging the boy whenever he seemed anxious or upset and often reflexively pulled him into her arms without a word and just holding him there for a minute or so.

Like always, Peter tightened his grip around Tony and melted into her warmth. She was the only woman in his life that he trusted to give him this kind of comfort, and she never disappointed. He never even had to ask the woman for hugs or cuddles, the two just fell into each other's arms whenever the moment called for it. For that, Peter was more grateful than he let on. To be touched in a way that actually made him feel loved and cared for, after everything he had been through, was worth more than the world to him.

“What happened?” Tony asked softly, pressing her lips to the boy’s hair, “What’s wrong?”

Peter seemed to be disturbed by the question if his wailing was anything to go by. He went lax in Tony’s arms and just sobbed loudly. He was with Ms. Stark now, he was safe. He could finally unburden himself. He could let it all go.

As comforted as Peter was by these thoughts, he just wanted to forget everything he had gone through and just let Tony hold him.

“Pete, you gotta tell me what’s going on,” Tony said with a pleading tone in her voice, “Once I know what’s wrong, I will help you. I promise, whatever it is, you have me. You don’t have to do anything alone. I’m right here with you.”

“N-no,” Peter sobbed and buried his face deeper into the crook of Tony’s neck, “No.”

“Oh, honey,” Tony sighed sadly and just squeezed the boy tighter, “Take a breath, you’re gonna cry yourself sick.”

Peter tried to follow Tony’s suggestion, put his nose was clogged and his throat was wet and sore from the excess in screaming he’d been doing. The feeling of being suffocated instantly took over Peter and he began to panic. The cries got louder as he couldn’t seem to take in a full lung capacity worth of air. He was going to choke on his own tears in Ms. Stark’s lap. That was how he was going to die, too scared to even tell the woman he trusted with his life that his aunt had been sexually abusing him for a majority of his life. He couldn’t. And now, he was going to run out of air.

“C’mon, kiddie,” Tony said soothingly, rubbing Peter’s back with a few more comforting strokes before lightly patting the center of his back as she slowly rocked the boy in her arms, “Just calm down and take a deep breath. I’ve got you, Petey. I’m right here, kiddo.”

“Help,” Peter wheezed, “Help please.”

“I will just breathe, kiddo.” Tony urged, “I’ve got you. Nothing bad will happen, I’m here.”

Peter just focused on his breathing, instilling all of his trust into the woman holding him tightly. He could do this, he’d be okay. Ms. Stark was here. He was finally safe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> your comments are literally the thing that keeps me writing. thank you so much for the support I've gotten on the entire collection of iron-mom stuff I've done. it means a lot.


	3. two

“What the hell is going on?” Tony asked, looking up at Officer Hoffman and Ned that was standing above her and a very upset Peter.

“Ms. Stark,” Ned began, looking at the billionaire, “I don’t know if Peter wants me to tell you or if that’s something he wants to tell you himself.”

Tony’s concern only grew heavier in her chest. She cradled the distraught teen in her arms as his sobs seemed to reduce to sniffles and hiccups.

“Pete,” Tony began softly, still comfortingly rubbing Peter’s back, “You gotta tell me what’s going on, kiddo. You gotta let me help you.”

“Can’t,” Peter whimpered, hating how pathetically small he sounded. 

“Ms. Stark,” Officer Hoffman began gently, “I can tell you everything I know if you follow me to my office.”

Tony looked up at the man for a second, hesitating. She was looking for any sign not to trust this man. Tony didn’t know if Peter was in trouble or if he was hurt. Where was his aunt? God, what was happening?

Tony then looked up at Ned. Ned, she trusted. If Peter trusted him, then Tony trusted him. The other teen just nodded at her before saying, “I think it’s best he tells you, Ms. Stark. I don’t think Peter can say it again.”

“Okay,” Tony said curtly before looking back at Officer Hoffman and giving him a short nod, “give me a sec.”

Tony turned to the stationary armor and addressed it, “Fri, send her back to the lab.”

“Yes, boss,” F.R.I.D.A.Y. replied, “Mr. Hogan is estimated to arrive in 17 minutes.”

With that, the suit promptly exited the precinct. Tony sighed in relief at the idea of Happy coming to help her with Peter.

Tony cradled the back of Peter’s head with her hand and tried to pry the boy from the crook of her neck, “Come on kiddo. Let’s talk to Officer Hoffman, okay?”

Peter, surprisingly, allowed himself to be removed from Tony and looked at her with wide sad eyes. Tony figured Peter just wanted whatever was going on to be over with as soon as possible so that Tony could just take him home. Peter gave no real answer, he just let himself be guided up to his feet, Tony’s hands never leaving his. He gripped her hands tightly, desperate to not let go.

“It’ll be quick, Peter. I’ll try to get you out of here as soon as possible.” The officer smiled at the boy as he led Peter and Tony back to his office.

As they passed Ned and Mrs. Leeds, Officer Hoffman turned to them and said, “Thank you for your help. I know today wasn’t easy, but it was in Peter’s best interest. Thank you, Mrs. Leeds, for bringing them in. And Ned, I don’t think Peter could ask for a better friend than you right now.”

“Thank you, Officer Hoffman. Will Peter be alright? Are you sure we can go?” Mrs. Leeds said with a sad smile.

“If Ms. Stark doesn’t take him tonight, he’ll be placed in a temporary home. He’ll be kept safe no matter what, I’ll see to that.” Officer Hoffman said with a determined nod.

“Take him? Will someone _ please _ tell me what’s happening?” Tony snapped, the evident tone of panic flooding her voice.

Ned hated keeping Tony Stark in the dark, but he couldn’t find it in himself to tell her what happened to his best friend. He was going to leave it to the cop, who must have been trained for a situation like this. Ned was just a kid, and he couldn’t risk messing it up for Peter. So, instead of easing Tony’s anxiety, he addressed Peter as he and his mother began to leave the precinct.

“Will you be okay, Peter?” Ned asked the other boy, who held one of Tony’s hands in both of his own. His hair was curled over his eyes, his head hung from his shoulders and he curled into himself, trying to make himself smaller next to Tony. 

Peter didn’t look up, didn’t acknowledge Ned at all. Ned was about to repeat the question when Peter slowly nodded, stepping to stand just behind Tony instead of beside her. Peter felt weak and vulnerable, Ned understood that. Well, he could try to, at least. He had no idea what Peter was actually feeling, he could only guess.

“Alright, man. Text me when you can. Let me know what happens next, and if you need anything, I’m here.”

Peter, again, said nothing. Instead, he buried his face into the center of Tony’s back, right between her shoulder blades. He let go of her hand and just grabbed a handful of the back of her shirt, and gripped tightly.

“I got him, Ned,” Tony nodded at the boy, “Thank you for your help. Whatever’s going on, I’ll keep Peter safe.”

Ned nodded, he trusted Tony. She was a superhero, she was an influential and compassionate woman, she was Peter’s only trusted adult. If Peter trusted her, then Ned trusted her. 

“I’ll see you later, Peter,” Ned said as he exited the station with his mother in tow. 

Tony shifted to face Peter, but Peter just mirrored her movements in order to stay hidden in her back.

“Come here, buddy,” Tony said softly to the boy, who complied and made his way into her arms instead. He wrapped his arms around her waist and buried his face into her neck.

“If you’ll follow me, Ms. Stark,” Officer Hoffman gestured to his office.

Tony nodded and followed the man, keeping Peter in her arms, but having his face forward and walk alongside her. She rubbed a comforting hand up and down his arm as they entered the man’s office. Officer Hoffman shut the door behind him and gestured for the two to sit down in the chairs that Ned, Mrs. Leeds, and Peter had been sitting in earlier. Tony elected to pull two chairs as close together as possible before guiding Peter to sit beside her. She released the boy from her arms before offering a hand to him. Peter took Tony’s hand into both of his and began to absentmindedly play with her fingers. 

“Ms. Stark, we called you here tonight because I don’t trust Peter will be safe if I send him back home to his apartment.” Officer Hoffman began.

“What do you mean? Is someone following him?” Tony asked, the color draining from her face in fear. She figured this would happen someday. Someday, a day that Tony dreaded thinking about, someone would take Peter or someone else Tony cared about and use them as leverage to blackmail Tony for absolutely anything. Because that’s what she’d do for Peter or Pepper, or Rhodey or Happy, absolutely anything. 

“No, Ms. Stark. I’m afraid Peter might be being abused at home,” Officer Hoffman said sadly. 

Tony’s heart stuttered in her chest. Abused? How was that possible? Peter spent most of his free time with her. How was his aunt able to abuse him without her noticing? She was a victim of child abuse herself, damn it. How could she have possibly missed that her intern, her mentee, her sidekick, her boy, her Peter was being abused right under her nose?

“Abused?” Tony choked out, her grip on Peter’s hand tightened, “What?”

Officer Hoffman nodded, “According to what we could get out of him along with information from Mrs. Leeds and public record, his aunt, May Parker, has been molesting him and forcing sexual acts on him since he moved in with her at the age of 4.”

“Oh my god,” Tony gasped, her free hand flying to cover her mouth in shock. She felt like she was going to be sick. How could this happen? How could May do something so monstrous to such a precious child? Peter was affectionate and loving and trusting. How could May do that to a kid? To _ her _ kid?

Wait, _ her _ kid?

Sure, Tony had gotten attached to the boy after Siberia. Peter was a breath of fresh air, a silver lining in the whole accords debacle. He made her want to be a better person, a healthier person. She finally had someone to impress, to live for. Tony adored every moment she spent with the kid, becoming more and more impressed by his intelligence and his character every day. Tony found herself longing for the boy’s presence whenever he wasn’t at the tower with her. She missed him more than she’d ever admitted to missing another person, let alone a kid that wasn’t even hers. 

But, in a way, he was hers. Peter was Tony’s responsibility since no one else seemed to bother to look after the boy in the way Tony had. She brought him lunch at school on days she knew the cafeteria was serving something the teen was unlikely to eat. She treated him to ice cream and lego sets whenever he aced a big exam, or did something kind, or had a hard day, or did anything, really. Tony loved seeing the boy smile and would do anything to keep that smile on his face. She figured May felt the same way. She, apparently, figured wrong. 

Tony believed May was a good guardian, and look where that trust got them. How did Tony not notice? Maybe Peter was good at hiding it. Peter never put up a fuss when it came to having to go back to his apartment, he just seemed sad. Peter never liked to talk about May, but then again, Tony never really asked. May was a firm yet kind woman, from Tony’s impression of her. It honestly surprised Tony, even more so now how much time May allowed Peter to spend with her at the tower. But, Tony figures it’s just her making Peter someone else’s ‘problem’ whenever he isn’t letting May take advantage of him. 

How could she miss this? Tony was the poster child of childhood abuse and even sexual abuse. How could she not notice the boy that clung to her so frequently, who spoke of monsters coming into his room at night, who was desperate for her comfort was being abused? Peter was obviously trying to make Tony into something she technically wasn’t, his mother. Tony noticed this very early on, but elected not to bring it up. She figured that May was probably just a busy woman that wasn’t for physical affection with her nephew. That Peter felt abandoned by his second mother figure and desperately seeked for a new one.

Tony often felt bad about how much she had to baby the boy when he was particularly upset or just under the weather. On nights that she’d have to coddle the sobbing boy and cuddle with him until he falls asleep, she couldn’t help but feel guilty. The small smiles she’d get from the boy warmed her heart and heightened her guilt. She felt like she was taking something that rightfully belonged to May, or even Mary. 

But Peter knew the truth. He always had. May wasn’t a mother, she was a monster. She did horrible things to him and made him lie and keep her dirty secrets. Ms. Stark never did that. The only secrets he had to keep for her was his secret identity to the public, and the times she let the boy eat what was probably way too much ice cream. Peter found warmth in Tony that he hadn’t felt in a long time. It was similar to the warmth Ben had, but it was different. 

Maybe he had some sort of “mommy issues” after everything May had put him through. In fact, he was very hesitant to even trust being in the same room as Tony Stark at first. But once Tony _ showed _ him that she wasn’t going to hurt him, that she just wanted to house his genius and empower his talents, he clung instantly. He clung to her desperately and needed her presence to feel safe. And now, because he couldn’t keep his damn mouth shut, he’d lose her forever.

At that, Peter sobbed loudly. His hands flew from Tony’s grasp and covered his face. Peter began heaving labored breaths and wailing loudly. Ms. Stark knew. She knew. She knew how weak and pathetic he was. How used and dirty he was. She knew what May had been doing to him for all these years. How could she bear to face him after this? How could she ever hold him like she used to? How could she ever love him the way he always wanted her to?

Peter always knew he needed a mother. He ached for one desperately. So when Ms. Stark came into his life and fed him, protected him, and held him when he was sad… he couldn’t help but see a mother in her; he saw _ his _ mother in her.

Peter didn’t remember his mother, Mary. He couldn’t have. He was far too young when she died. Peter knew Mary loved him because that’s what Ben had told him for years, how much his parents had loved him. Ben never let him forget. But Tony was there, here and now. Tony was always there. Tony showed Peter that she loved him. With hugs and cuddles, with warm food and hot chocolate, with praises and words of affirmation, with everything she did. 

“Oh, Peter,” Tony stifled a sob as she turned to the wailing boy, “Peter, I—”

Peter wailed even louder, his body shaking with fear and aching with pain.

“I-m s-s-sorry!” Peter sobbed, “I’m So-orry!!!”

“Peter,” Tony said gently, trying her hardest to keep the tears in her eyes from falling, “You have nothing to be sorry for, kiddo.”

Peter shook his head and continued to cry. Tony reached out, desperate to comfort the boy, but she thought better of touching him without him knowing.

“Peter, can I touch you?” Tony asked softly, “I just want to hug you, sweetheart. I really need to hold you right now.”

Peter looked up at her with a shocked expression on his face. Tony wanted to hug him? Did he hear that right? Was he hallucinating? Was he regressing? Was his brain just making up what he wanted to hear, was desperate to hear?

“Can I?” Tony said with a sad smile on her face, her arms spread wide open.

Without hesitation, Peter sprung from his chair and latched onto Tony tightly. He sat in her lap, each leg dangling on either side of the billionaire’s waist, and buried his face in the crook of her neck. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and clung to her desperately. Tony huffed out a breath and wrapped her arms around Peter’s midsection. She couldn’t believe this was happening. How could someone do this to her precious Peter?

Jumbled audio suddenly came from a radio on the officer’s desk. The man excused himself as he stepped out with the radio in hand. Tony could kind of hear the conversation happening, but elected to put all of her attention on Peter. 

“I’m sorry, Peter,” Tony said softly, “I should’ve noticed. I should have stopped it. I’m so—”

“No,” Peter said, his voice muffled, “Didn’t know.”

Tony’s heart softened and her grip on the boy tightened, “I should have.”

“No!” Peter whined, pulling his face from Tony’s neck and sitting upright in her lap. Peter was very small for his age, thin too. He was a tiny kid, just like Tony had been her entire life. Tony always found the boy to be adorable with his curly hair and oversized sweaters swallowing his tiny frame. It often made for staff in the tower and servers at certain restaurants when they’d go out to eat to immediately believe Tony was Peter’s mother. That, paired with their seemingly magnetic attachment to each other, often had people thinking Tony Stark had a secret son.

Peter’s red and teary eyes bore into Tony’s heart. The woman cupped the boy’s cheek in her hand and wiped the tears from his cheek.

“Okay,” Tony shushed the boy, “No more blaming. You’re okay. I’m here now, sweetheart.”

Officer Hoffman then re-entered the office and announced, “Deputy Britney Chapman let me know May Parker has been collected for questioning. They should arrive at the station within the hour.”

Tony sighed, “What does that mean? What’s going to happen?”

Officer Hoffman rounded his desk and sat down, “Peter will have to come back tomorrow, give us any more information he can gather, maybe get him ready to give an official statement. Ms. Parker will be held here unless she can convince us that she has never sexually abused Peter. If she can’t, then she’ll be… put away”, Tony appreciated how the man was mindful of the sensitive ears that accompanied them in the room. 

“Okay, but what happens until then?” Tony asked, her grip tightening around Peter’s waist. Peter rested his head on Tony’s shoulder and closed his eyes, putting all of his trust into Tony dealing with whatever the officer was talking about.

“Peter seems unable to emotionally handle being placed in a temporary foster home, which is usually the protocol in cases like this. He asked for you, Ms. Stark,” Officer Hoffman sighed.

“So I can…” Tony said softly, “Take him?”

“If you’re willing to have him for the night and maybe the next few days, then I feel like that would be best for Peter. We need him to be comfortable, after everything he’s been through.”

Tony nodded, “Of course, I’ll take him.”

“A social worker will contact you sometime within the next few days about gaining temporary guardianship over Peter. However, in the event that May Parker is ‘put away,’ Peter will need something a little more than temporary, Ms. Stark.”

Tony nodded, she agreed whole-heartedly. She didn’t even want to wait for May to be charged. Tony wanted Peter to be safe and secure _ now _. She didn’t want there to be even the slightest possibility of ever having to face May Parker again.

“So what does that mean? What can I do?” Tony asked, her heart swelling as Peter snuggled closer to her. She wrapped her arms tighter around the boy and pressed her lips to his hairline.

“Well,” Officer Hoffman huffed, a look of surprise on his face, “If you wanted to help vet a permanent home for Peter, we—”

“No!” Peter cried, his grip tightening painfully around Tony. Tony gasped, quickly moving to comfort the boy. She figured Peter was using his Spidey strength at the moment if how hard it was for her to breathe was anything to go by. 

“Peter,” Tony heaved, “It’s okay, you’re okay.”

“W-wanna stay with y-you,” Peter cried as he buried his face into her neck. His whole body started shaking in fear, “P-please.”

“Pete, I—” Tony gasped for air, “You gotta let go, bud. You’re—”

“NO!” Peter sobbed, going limp in Tony’s lap and wailing loudly again, “Please don’t leave me!”

Tony quickly caught her breath as Peter slumped against her chest, his arms falling to his sides.

“Peter, honey,” Tony said to the boy softly, “I will not leave you. Okay? I’m here, I’m not going anywhere. Alright?”

“Wanna s-s-stay wi-with you,” Peter moaned and rubbed at his eyes, “They take me, hurt me too.”

Tony noticed Peter had most likely been regressed the entire time. His voice was small, and his cries were loud. These characteristics were usual give-aways that Peter’s mind was in a state of a boy much younger than Peter actually was. 

Tony had done research on his behavior after the first few nights Peter needed to be coddled before falling asleep. He’d also wet his bed on occasion, and didn’t react in a way Tony had assumed a 15 year-old-boy would react. He had cried and cried and asked Tony to help him clean himself, before begging for her to stay with him.

The research gave plenty of reasons for why Peter might be prone to age-regression, trauma was a possibility Tony had considered but not for the reasons she considers it now. She chalked it up to losing his parents and uncle at such a young age, along with the woes of being a teenage superhero. But that seemed to just be the surface level of issues for poor, young Peter.

“No one’s going to hurt you, Peter,” Tony replied, cupping Peter’s face with her hands. Peter brought his own hand to place on top of Tony’s as he melted into her touch, “If this all goes according to plan, you’ll stay with me. Okay? You won’t have to go anywhere.”

“Promise?” Peter asked, tears still running from his wide eyes.

“I promise,” Tony smiled at the boy before turning to Officer Hoffman, “When May gets charged, I want to keep Peter. Permanently.”

“Very well,” Officer Hoffman nodded, “Leave your contact information and we’ll have the two of you come in tomorrow. Maybe then, we can discuss with the social worker about you adopting Peter.”

“Okay,” Tony nodded again, “We can do that,”

“Thank you for your time, Ms. Stark. Thank you for coming on such short notice, I wasn’t sure what I could do for Peter without you.” Officer Hoffman said.

“Of course. Whatever Peter needs, I’ll be here for him.” 

At that, Peter turned his head and buried his face into the woman’s neck. Peter had been so terrified of Tony leaving him at the police station, to be put into a foster home and being taken advantage of again. He was scared of Tony wanting nothing to do with him after learning his life-long secret. Peter wasn’t sure what he’d do if he couldn’t stay with Tony if she didn’t save him from the station.

“Stay?” Peter whimpered into Tony’s neck.

“Yeah, buddy,” Tony replied, running her fingers through the curls on the back of Peter’s head, “You’re gonna stay with me. We can have a sleepover. How’s that sound?”

Peter nodded and sat up straight in Tony’s lap, “We go? Now?”

“Yeah, let’s go,” Tony nodded and cupped Peter’s cheeks in her hands. She swiped her thumbs to wipe the remaining tears on Peter’s cheeks.

Peter leaned into Tony’s touch and closed his eyes, exhaling a sigh of relief. Tony smiled at the boy and let go of his face, “C’mon, kiddo. I had Happy follow me here, he’s waiting for us outside.”

Peter nodded and climbed off of Tony’s lap. Tony stood and took Peter’s hand into hers.

“Ms. Stark,” Officer Hoffman stood with a pen and notepad in his hand, “Could I get your contact information. I’ll need to be able to get in touch as we progress in this investigation.”

Tony nodded, “Of course,”

Tony scribbled down her personal number, as well as the landline number directed to her personal lab.

“Very well, have a good night, Ms. Stark,” Officer Hoffman nodded and turned to Peter, “We’ll get to the bottom of this, Peter. I’ll make sure you get the justice you deserve.”

Peter said nothing, electing to absentmindedly play with Tony’s hands, fiddling with the ring on her right ring finger.

Tony offered the man her dazzling PR smile and a curt nod. She tugged on her hand in Peter’s grasp, urging him to follow her out of the door.

The two promptly walked out of the police station, hand-in-hand. Tony’s grip on the boy tightened as they stepped out into the night. She smiled tightly as Happy appeared in front of her, his face pinched with worry.

“Everything alright? What’s going on?” Happy asked, his voice on the verge of frantic. 

Peter curled closer into Tony’s side and hid his face in her collarbone. Tony sighed sadly and wrapped an arm around the boy.

“Everything will be fine, Hap. Let’s get out of here,” Tony said.

“O-okay,” Happy nodded and turned to open the backdoor for his boss, “Where are we going? Am I taking the kid home?”

At that, Peter flinched and wrapped his arms around Tony’s waist and smashed his face closer to her chest. 

Tony quickly began to rub Peter’s back, attempting to calm the distressed teen. 

“He’s coming with me,” Tony responded to Happy with a determined look in her eyes, “I’m not leaving his side, not for a while. Take us to the tower. 

“Absolutely,” Happy nodded, although Tony could see the confusion and hesitation radiating off the man. She elected to ignore it and help Peter slide into the backseat of the car. 

Once the two were secure in the back, Happy shut the car door behind them and made his way to the driver’s seat. Peter was almost uncomfortably close, almost on Tony’s lap. Definitely in her personal space. Tony couldn’t find it in herself to mind, though. The boy needed comfort, and Tony was going to give it to him.

“It’s gonna be okay, Pete,” Tony said softly as she pulled the boy closer, for him to rest his head on her chest, “As long as I’m here, you’ll be okay. I promise.”

Peter let his eyes flutter shut and he sighed in relief, melting into his mentor’s warmth and affection.

Tony smiled down at the boy in her arms and gently brushed the stray curls from his eyes.

“Get some rest, kiddo,” Tony whispered, “You’ve had a rough day.”

Peter nodded against her chest, curling into the woman and snuggling up close. He finally felt safe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if anyone is interested in being a beta/proofreader, let me know.


	4. three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> little fluff. little bit of filler. also, it's a little short.

The ride to the tower was silent. Tony sighed and relished in the absence of Peter’s wailing. Every time the kid cried, it chipped away at her heart. She hated when Peter was upset. Peter was a ray of sunshine in her life, so seeing him cry really got to her.

The genius looked down at the boy, who was asleep on her chest and smiled. Peter looked like a little boy, like the tiny little boy he really was. It was very rare for Peter to appear his actual age, with his plump cheeks and bright eyes, his small frame and short stature, his fluffy curly hair, and the mental age regression often made Peter look more like an elementary school boy rather than a teenager in high school.

Peter’s cheek was smooshed against Tony’s chest, right where the arc reactor once rested. His lips were pursed and slightly parted as he snored quietly. Tony’s smile grew as she brushed back the curls in his face, her fingers lingering as she brushed the side of his cheek. Tony was terrified of what would happen next. What if May didn’t get charged? What if Tony had to give Peter back to her? No, that wouldn’t happen. Tony would never hand over her mentee to the woman that had been torturing him his entire life. No way. But, Tony still worried. What if Peter woke up and suddenly decided he  _ didn’t  _ trust Tony as much as he thought?

Tony had long-since gotten over her inherent fear of ruining Peter. Tony grew up terrified at the idea of having her own children, in fear of doing to her kids what her parents did to her. She didn’t want to make any child feel the way Howard Stark made her feel: unloved, unworthy, and unimportant. Maria was arguably worse. As a mother, she never defended Tony. Never stood up for her. Never comforted her. Maria was just as under Howard’s spell, like any other.

But soon enough, upon meeting Peter, she realized that would never happen. It couldn’t. Tony knew right when she met Peter, that her being just like Howard was impossible; she loved Peter too much. She knew how much Howard’s parenting hurt her, how badly it lead her to feel about everyone around her, including and especially herself. Tony would never do that to Peter, she was almost sure she was incapable of that. 

Tony had full confidence in being Peter’s mentor, in leading him onto the right path. She truly only wanted Peter to learn and grow into the phenomenal young man he was destined to be. Peter put his entire trust into Tony, and she has yet to prove that to be a mistake on his part. Tony had no intention of ruining that. 

Soon enough, the car came to a stop. Happy was quick to exit the car and come around the back to open the door for Tony and Peter.

“Is he asleep?” Happy asked, his voice hushed yet frantic.

“Yeah,” Tony whispered as she tried to maneuver the boy in a way without waking him, “I got him.”

“Are you sure about that, boss?” Happy asked, holding his arms out to catch Peter in the event Tony accidentally dropped him.

“Yeah,” Tony replied, “Give me some credit, Hap.”

“It’s just,” Happy began, “He’s big. He’s a teenager.”

“He’s not big,” Tony shook her head as she easily wrestled Peter into a position that made him easier to carry.

If there was one thing that Tony had to be grateful for when it came to the accords, it was how much it scared her. When Steve and Bucky left her alone in the cold, in a dead suit with no backup, she knew right then that she’d never let herself be in that position again. After everything that she had survived at that point, she’d never been so sure that she was going to die. Not even in Afghanistan did she feel her fate was sealed. 

If Tony believed in miracles, she’d say coming home from Siberia at all was one. The cold still chilled her core and instilled an ache in her bones. But, for the most part, she returned unscathed. No one knew where she was, where she was going. She wasn’t strong enough to get herself out. Luckily, T’challa opted for a thorough sweep of the area to see what else Zemo had been hiding. To see who else might’ve been there. 

The frostbite that almost took her still burned Tony’s fingertips and lips whenever it got particularly chilly. As long as she was able to see the spider-kid again, She could deal with the cold. Or maybe they didn’t have to. Peter had virtually no thermoregulation and handled the cold even worse than Tony. Their first winter as mentor and mentee was quickly approaching. Even with it being fall, Tony noticed how the cold affected the boy. Tony knew to keep tons of blankets on hand, extra hoodies within an arm's reach, the heat on high, and an exceptional amount of hot foods and drinks whenever the boy was over. Oh, and plenty of cuddles. 

Maybe, if social services let Tony keep Peter, they could go somewhere warm for winter. Like Thailand, or Australia. Wherever Peter wanted to go, Tony would take him. They’d beat the winter together.

She knew that the moment she laid in Siberia, teeth chattering in the freezing cold that this could be the end of her. The paralyzing fatigue she felt in her muscles had no chance against the deadweight that was the Iron Maiden suit. It was on the chopper ride to the hospital that she vowed to never let her physical strength hinder her overpowering will to finish a fight.

So, ever since, she’d worked out like a madwoman. She built up her strength, her stamina even tried working on her agility. She tried even training with Peter. Tony taught him how to be more focused and less distracted, and he taught her how to be more agile. Sure, she didn’t have the spidey-sense he had, nor the ability to climb walls, but Peter was more helpful for her than he might’ve thought he was. 

She remembered looking in the mirror and almost shedding tears. Tony wasn’t one to see herself as a strong person, but seeing her reflection and seeing toned muscles that weren’t there a year ago, or even in her prime… got her misty-eyed. She remembered telling Pepper about it, about how strong she saw herself. How Tony knew then that she didn’t need the Avengers to protect her, that she didn’t need Steve to be the muscles for her. She was strong enough on her own. At that, Pepper herself had tears in her eyes, urging Tony to believe that she was always strong enough without them. That Tony was one of the strongest people she knew, that Tony didn’t need what happened in Siberia to happen, she was always strong. 

So, now, carrying the small teen was easy. She had it. She had Peter. 

“I got him, Hap,” Tony repeated as she cradled Peter to her chest, one arm supporting under his bum and her other hand on the back of his head, keeping him from lolling backward, “Thanks for your help tonight.”

“I didn’t do much,” Happy shrugged as he closed the door behind Tony, “You need anything else?”

“No, we’ll be okay, “ Tony nodded, “Maybe bring us some breakfast in the morning.”

“Can do,” Happy nodded, “But what the hell is going on?”

Tony sighed and shook her head, “It’s… a lot. I’ll tell you another time.”

“Is he okay?” Happy asked, his brow furrowing in concern, “Is his aunt okay?”

Tony’s grip on Peter tightened at the mention of his aunt, “She…”

“Is she…?” Happy asked gently. Happy knew Peter’s past. He knew the poor boy had lost his parents in a plane crash, and his beloved uncle too quickly after. Happy knew May was all Peter had. Well, that’s what he thought, anyway.

“No, unfortunately, she’s alive and well,” Tony spat.

“Woah,” Happy’s brows raise in shock, “Is she… hurting him?”

Tony hesitated, just standing in the chilly night air, cradling Peter before she nodded.

“Shit,” Happy sighed, “So he’s staying here until all that gets sorted out, then?”

“I don’t know yet,” Tony shrugged, “as long as he needs me, I’ll be there for him.”

“I know you will, boss,” Happy nodded with a small smile, “he’s in the best hands, now.”

“Thanks, Hap,” Tony returned the smile before making her way inside the tower.

Without a word, F.R.I.D.A.Y. sent the elevator up to the penthouse as the two entered.

Peter began to stir in Tony’s arms, whimpering slightly. Tony quietly shushed the boy, pressing her lips to the crown of his head.

“It’s okay,” Tony whispered, “You’re safe now. You’re with me.”

Peter removed his face from where it was in the crook of her neck and looked up at her with his wide baby brown eyes. Tony’s heart stuttered at the sight of his little baby face before she smiled softly at him.

“I stay?” Peter asked in a small voice.

“Yeah,” Tony nodded, “You’re going to stay with me for a bit. Is that okay?”

Peter instantly nodded quickly, “Ever?”

Tony’s head quirked to the side in confusion, “Ever?”

“I stay forever?” Peter clarified.

Tony’s heart broke in her chest. She wanted to hold the boy and keep him safe forever. She really did. Tony wanted to assure the boy that she’d never let him go, that he’d never have to face May ever again. That he’d never be put into a random foster home, either. But she just didn’t know. She didn’t know if May would end up being charged or if she’d go to prison for what she’s done to Peter. Tony wanted to comfort the boy, but she couldn’t bring herself to lie to him or get his hopes up if things suddenly went south.

“If it were up to me,” Tony started, “You’d stay forever. But, I just don’t know yet, buddy. I’m sorry.”

Peter’s bottom lip quivered as tears welled in his eyes, “I go back? To May?”

Tony decided the moment she found out what was going on, that with or without charges, she’d die before letting someone make Peter go back to living with May. She was just worried about whether or not they’d let Tony keep him.

“No, Peter,” Tony shook her head, “You’re not going back to May. I promise.”

“O-okay,” Peter nodded and rested his cheek on Tony’s shoulder, “I stay.”

“Yeah, bud,” Tony nodded, rubbing a hand on Peter’s back, “You stay with me.”

The elevator arrived at the penthouse and Tony carried Peter to his room, just across the hall from her own. Tony had given Peter his own space on a different floor when he first started staying at the tower, but the boy had been quick to convince the genius that he needed to be closer to her. Whether it be from separation anxiety, or nightmares, or the irrational fear of May coming into his room as he slept, Peter wanted to be closer to Tony. 

Tony made her way over to Peter’s bed before pulling back the covers and placing him down onto it. Peter held tightly onto her, refusing to let her go.

“C’mon, Peter,” Tony sighed, “It’s time for bed.”

“No,” Peter’s voice broke, “Stay.”

“Peter,” Tony tried again, “I promise you, when you wake up, you’ll still be here with me. You’re not going anywhere and neither am I. Okay?”

“Stay,” Peter whimpered, tightening his grip on her.

“Kid, you have to sleep,” Tony sighed again. She’d been running on fumes at this point, as she hadn’t slept more than a few hours total over the last week. Tony didn’t know what it was until now, but she had been plagued with this overwhelming feeling that something big was coming. She wasn’t sure if it was an Avengers level threat, or if it was something else. When she got the call from Officer Hoffman not long ago, she feared for the worst.  _ Not Peter, _ she thought desperately,  _ Anything but Peter.  _

“St-stay!” Peter sobbed, the sound shattering Tony’s heart. 

“Okay,” Tony hushed the boy, “How about you come with me to my room, huh? There’s room for us both in there. How’s that sound?”

“O-okay,” Peter sniffled, burying his face in Tony’s collarbone.

“Okay, buddy,” Tony huffed as she picked Peter up from his bed, his arms still latched around her, “Let’s go.”

Peter allowed himself to be carried to Tony’s bedroom and placed onto the bed, beneath the covers. Peter had slept in Tony’s bed before. He only did it on the really hard nights that he was convinced May would come into his room at night and touch him while he slept. Even though he logically knew that the tower was one of the most secure buildings in the country and that May wasn’t even near the tower on those nights, but at home in their apartment. Peter knew, logically, that even  _ if _ May had somehow made her way into the tower, that F.R.I.D.A.Y. would alert Tony of the intrusion and she’d be dealt with before May even had the chance to get close to Peter. 

But, nonetheless, on those nights when he was convinced May was coming to get him, waiting for Peter to leave Tony’s side just so she could get her hands on him, he’d beg Tony to let him sleep with her. Or for her to sit by his bed in his own room while he slept. Or for the two to forgo sleeping altogether and either tinker in the lab or watch movies on the couch. Anything to keep May away from him. To keep the monster away. He never told his mentor/mother figure the truth about it, though. He often had to fabricate nightmares to pass off as the reason he was too scared to sleep alone. Tony never really knew why Peter couldn’t sleep alone many nights out of the week. She just believed the kid was traumatized from one or more of the many tragic things to happen to him in his short life. 

Peter never thought Ms. Stark would ever know the truth. But she knew now. And she was still here, with him.

Peter finally let go of his death grip on Tony, allowing himself to melt into her insanely comfortable mattress and soft comforter. Tony smiled down at the boy as she pulled the blanket up to his chin and tucked him in snugly. 

“Comfy?” Tony asked.

Peter nodded and gripped the edge of the blanket tightly.

“I was in the lab when they called,” Tony began, “So I’m gonna shower and change before I get into bed, okay? I won’t be long, I promise.”

Peter thought to himself for a moment, he could wait until Tony was done. He’s waited this long to escape May, he could wait a little longer to finally rest. The boy quickly nodded, pulling the blanket’s edge up over his mouth and nose to rest just under his eyes.

Tony chuckled at the sight of the boy.  _ How adorable _ , she thought. 

“Okay,” Tony said softly, “I’ll be right back.”

Tony stood and made her way to her wardrobe to grab fresh clothes, just as she turned to enter her en suite bathroom, Peter spoke,

“Hurry?” 

“Yeah,” Tony smiled at the boy, “I’ll be right out, I promise.”

Peter nodded again, curling up in the warmth of Tony’s bed. Tony turned and went to shower. True to her word, she didn’t take very long at all. Before Peter knew it, she returned in clean clothes on and her hair gathered into a bun atop her head. She decided to forgo washing her hair, as she wanted to return to Peter quickly.

Tony turned to the boy, who just stared at her. The genius smiled and made her way to the side of the bed that Peter didn’t occupy. She decided it’d be better for her to lay atop the covers, leaving a barrier between her and Peter, in case the boy got uncomfortable with the contact. She climbed on top of the bed and laid on her side, facing Peter. The boy rolled onto his side to face her too. 

“Cold?” Peter asked, his small voice indicating he was still deep in his headspace. Tony always meant to try to find out what age Peter tended to regress to. It seemed pretty young, just above toddler age. Now that she knew more, she’s starting to think he’s around 4. Around the age he was when May started touching him.

“No,” Tony said, “I'm okay, kiddo.”

Peter said nothing, just reaching up and offering her the blanket he was snuggled under.

“No, Peter,” Tony continued, tucking the blanket back around Peter, “I’m not cold, honey, I promise.”

The pet names were something that threw everyone for a loop. The look on Happy’s face the first time Tony absentmindedly called the kid ‘sweetheart’ was priceless. She couldn’t help it. Peter was a sensitive soul, he often needed to be coddled. Tony noticed how close the boy wanted to be with her. How he often stole hugs and cuddled what was probably too close for a 15-year-old boy and his adult mentor. But she knew right away that it wasn’t for the wrong reasons. It was because Peter was, surprisingly, touch starved. He often ached for comfort. And the only comfort he ever seemed to want was from Tony. And Tony couldn’t deny the boy anything. 

So, if getting over her aversion to physical contact and cheesy pet names mothers often gave their children meant that Peter felt secure and loved, then she’d do it without hesitation. Anything for that smile. For that boy.

Peter nodded and allowed himself to be tucked tightly under the covers before he snuggled closer to Tony.

“Thank you,” his small voice squeaked out.

“Peter,” Tony hummed as she brushed the curls out of his eyes, “If you ever need anything, anything at all, you can always come to me. I’ll help you with anything, no matter what. I’m here for you, always.”

Peter looked up at the woman with wide eyes before nodding his head. He curled up next to her, feeling content when they finally made contact. His forehead was pressed up against her chest and his knees bumped her thighs as he curled into a ball.

“Get some rest, Pete,” Tony said, continuing to pet the boy’s hair, “I’ll be here.”

“M’kay,” Peter mumbled before sighing and letting his eyes flutter shut.

Tony continued to run her fingers through Peter’s hair as she waited for his breath to even out. Once she finally heard the sound of soft snores coming from him, she smiled and pressed a light kiss to the top of the boy’s head.

“You’re going to be okay, Pete,” Tony whispered, “I’ll always protect you. I failed you before, but…”

Tony sighed as her heart caught itself in her throat. She couldn’t believe what was happening. Tony always tried her best to not overstep any boundaries with May. She wasn’t Peter’s mother and had no right to see herself as a motherly figure when May was the woman that raised the boy Tony loved so much. That was May’s right, not hers. But now she knows the truth. Now she knows that May was never a mother to Peter, only a monster. 

Tony couldn’t help but feel responsible. Sure, May had been doing this to Peter for years and years before Tony even knew the boy existed. But, still. She couldn’t help but feel like it was her job to protect Peter and sending him back home every day to a woman that abused him isn’t very protecting. Tony’s heart ached in her chest as the thought of the awful things May has done to him crossed her mind. The idea of Peter being so helplessly taken advantage of. Did he cry when it happened? Did he scream? Did he fight back? Did he call for Tony? Did he beg her to help him? To make it stop?

A silent tear fell down the billionaire’s cheek. She quickly wiped it away and shook the thoughts out of her head. There was no point in dwelling in the past. As bad as she wanted to hate herself for what happened to Peter, she had to be strong for him. If she dwelled on the bad stuff, Peter was sure to follow. Tony couldn’t have that. She needed to help the boy heal. 

Maybe when Peter wakes up, he’ll be 15 again and they can talk some stuff out. What if he never got out of his headspace? What if May broke him? God, if he doesn’t come back then social services can deem Tony unfit to take care of him. 

But Tony knew Peter’s age regression was a defense mechanism, a way of self-healing. If he regressed to the age before May started hurting him, maybe he could pretend it never happened. Tony didn’t want to take that from him, his safe haven within his own mind. If she had to choose between risking others thinking she would be an unfit guardian/mother/person to look after Peter because she treats the 15-year-old like a 4-year-old and taking away Peter’s seemingly only way of healing, she’ll choose the former.

“I’ve got you now,” Tony finished, pressing another kiss to the top of his head and taking a moment to breathe in his scent. He smelt like cheap coconut shampoo, and it made Tony smile. She spent so much of tonight in fear and worrying for the worst. But, right now, she just wanted to watch the boy sleep and hope for the best. Maybe Peter gets better, with help, and May goes away for a very long time. Maybe Peter lives with Tony permanently, and she never has to let the kid go. Maybe she could properly introduce him to Pepper and Rhodey, and give a face to the name the two had only heard so much.

Maybe she could have a family. Peter was already her family, she had to remember. She’s in too deep. Tony couldn’t imagine the gap in her heart that would gape painfully if Peter was taken from her. She didn’t want to. She spent too many sleepless nights in fear of her brain’s ability to conjure up imaginary scenarios in which something bad ever happened to Peter, that she’d never be able to see him or hold him again. With the thought passing her mind again, she pulled the boy closer to her, smiling as he sluggishly melted into her. 

Tony took a moment to just listen to the boy’s breathing. The sweet sound of his steady breaths soon became the rhythm of Tony’s favorite song. The genius closed her eyes, a smile spreading across her face, as she just lay there and listened. 

Tony was going to adopt Peter, she had to. She couldn’t ever let him go. Especially not now that she knows what he’s been going through. She couldn’t leave him, she couldn’t trust anyone else to take him. She had to have him. She had to look after him. She had to take care of him. She had to love him. She just hoped that he felt the same way. 

Was it fair to assume that he did, based on how he acted tonight? No, right? Not while he was regressed the night he revealed his trauma. No. No, he only wanted Tony because he was regressed. Peter’s going to wake up tomorrow, a moody teenage boy that takes back everything that happened tonight, too embarrassed to ever look Tony in the eye again. If his mind wasn’t at the age of 4 right now, he wouldn't want Tony to adopt him, to keep him forever. He wouldn’t want to stay. Right?

She couldn’t be his mother. Right?

The idea forced a tired sigh out of her. What was she going to do? What was going to happen? What would the social workers say tomorrow? What about the police? They were questioning May tonight, right? They had to be. What if when they go in tomorrow, they say May  _ hadn’t  _ been molesting Peter and that he had to go home with her now. What if...

Tony’s brain shut up as Peter stirred against her. It reminded her of how Pepper used to joke,

_ “You’re thinking too loudly, I’m trying to sleep.” _

Tony bid a silent apology by running her fingers through the boy’s hair.  _ Okay, _ she thought,  _ Time for bed. I need some real sleep if I’m gonna deal with this.  _

At that, Tony sighed and melted deeper into the mattress, and into Peter’s warmth. After her first real relationship fell through, Tony realized how badly she missed sleeping next to another person. While it didn’t rid of the nightmares completely, it definitely helped to feel warmth in her bed rather than the cold that reminded her of a cave, or of a wormhole, or Siberia. 

Tony let her eyes fall shut as she allowed Peter’s soft snores soothe her to sleep. 


	5. four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> more (mental) age regression! more fluff!

Tony awoke to the sound of whimpering and the feeling of thrashing beside her. The genius instantly shot up and reached for Peter. He was crying and flailing around on the bed. His eyes were screwed shut and his skin glistened with sweat. Tony’s heart broke for the boy and she began to gently card her fingers through his hair.

“It’s okay, Pete,” She whispered, “You’re okay now, honey.”

When Peter didn’t seem to be comforted by the gesture and continued to thrash around and cry, Tony propped the boy up into a sitting position and held him against her chest. She began to rub his back comfortingly and tried to shush his crying.

“Wake up, Peter,” Tony said, her voice now at regular volume, “Wake up for me, kiddo. It’s just a bad dream.”

Peter’s hand latched onto the front of Tony’s shirt and his eyes flew open.

“Mo-mommy!” Peter wailed and slumped against Tony’s chest.

Tony’s heart stuttered in her chest. The pain in Peter’s voice hurt to hear, but the idea that he was still clearly regressed and wanted his mother was probably the most heartbreaking thing Tony’s ever witnessed.

“You’re okay, Peter,” Tony shushed the boy as he continued to sob and cling to the woman, “I’m here. You’re okay.”

The genius sat in her bed, rocking the crying boy in her arms. She looked up at the sensors in the ceiling and said, “What time is it, Fri?”

“It is 3:57 AM, Boss,” F.R.I.D.A.Y. chimed. Tony sighed, at least she and Peter got a good amount of sleep, not enough, but she doubted he’d be able to fall back asleep. Thankfully, they’d fallen asleep quite early as it wasn’t very late when she got the call. Either way, 6 hours would have to do.

Peter’s sobs were reduced to muffled whimpers and hiccups, as his face was buried in Tony’s shirt. He had fistfuls of the back of Tony’s shirt gripped tightly in his hands with his arms wrapped around her waist. Tony’s arms encompassed the boy entirely and she hugged him tightly against her chest and rested her cheek on the top of his head.

“You okay?” She asked softly, her hand resuming in rubbing his back comfortingly.

Peter sniffled and pulled his face from her chest, causing Tony to sit up straight. He looked up at her with wide, red, wet eyes. Her hand instinctively reached up to cup the boy’s cheek, her thumb swiping away the tear tracks. Peter melted into her touch, his face leaning heavily into her palm.

“What happened, Petey?” Tony asked softly.

“May comin’ to get me,” Peter whimpered miserably, his head hanging down from his shoulders.

“No, she’s not,” Tony said firmly, “I’m not letting her anywhere near you, sweetheart. I won’t ever let her hurt you again, okay?”

Peter didn’t look up, he didn’t seem to react at all. For a long moment, the two sat in silence. Then, Peter did look up at the woman with a desperate look in his eyes.

“Are you my mommy now?” Peter asked. If his tiny voice wasn’t an indicator that he was still very much regressed, then the idea of him being desperate for a mother right now was.

Tony was silent. She didn’t know what to say. She wasn’t expecting that. She wasn’t the boy’s mother. Sure, she loved the kid and would do absolutely anything to keep him safe and happy. Sure, she loved spending time with him and gave him all the hugs and cuddles he could ever wish for. Sure, she had ached to have children ever since she met Peter. But, that didn’t make her his mother. Right? She just couldn’t help but love the kid and be like a mother to him. He brought that out in her. Something she never thought she’d ever had. But with Peter, it became second nature.

And if Peter needed a mother… If teenage Peter didn’t see Tony that way, she could live with that… Maybe. If he needed someone to love and protect him, even if just when he was regressed... If little Peter needed her, she’d give him everything.

“I don’t know, kiddo,” Tony said honestly, “Do you want me to be?”

Peter immediately nodded in confirmation, “Please.”

Tears started to well in Tony’s eyes. He needed it. He needed it so much. He needed  _ her _ . She looked at the precious boy in her arms and smiled through the tears. She could be a mommy, just for Peter. She could do anything if Peter wanted her to do it. 

“Okay,” Tony nodded, “If that’s what you want.”

It was instant, like a lightswitch. Peter broke into another fit of sobs and buried his face back into Tony’s chest. Tony feared for the worst. Hadn’t he just asked for it? Why was he so upset over her agreeing? Oh no. They’re gonna take him away from her. They’re gonna—

“I,” Peter looked up at Tony, his little red face strained with tears running down his cheeks and snot collecting under his nose, “I waited for you. For a long time, Mommy.”

Whatever dam Tony had up to keep her from losing it in front of Peter had been chipped away all night. And now, it was done for. The floodgates opened and she choked on a sob as she pulled the boy closer to her chest.

“I know,” Tony shushed the crying boy, “But I’m here now, baby. I’m right here.”

“Mommy,” Peter wailed and buried his face in the crook of Tony’s neck.

Tony felt tears streaming from her own eyes and her heart pounding in her chest.

“I’m here, baby,” Tony cooed at the boy, “I’m right here. I got you.”

Peter continued to cry against Tony’s neck, his sobs reducing to sniffles and hiccups. Tony continued to rock him back and forth, her own tears dissipated and her heart calmed down. They stayed like that for a long time; until Tony looked down and noticed Peter was asleep, quietly snoring against her chest.

Tony smiled at the boy and pressed a kiss to the top of his head. She gently maneuvered herself and the boy so that they were laying down again, Peter still enveloped in her arms. The boy snuggled closer to the billionaire and sighed contently. Tony relished in the warmth of Peter’s embrace and rested her cheek on the top of his head. 

“Mommy’s here,” Tony whispered to the boy as he continued to snore quietly, “Mommy’s got you now. I’ll always protect you, baby,”

Tony felt her eyes to flutter shut and allowed the warmth of Peter’s embrace and the sound of his soft snoring lull her to sleep.

-

The next time Tony awoke, the sun was shining through her large windows. She looked down and smiled at the sight of Peter snuggled into her chest, his cheeks plump and rosy and his hair as fluffy as ever. The billionaire brushed the hair over his eyes out of his face before pressing a kiss to his forehead.

“Boss,” F.R.I.D.A.Y. chimed, her voice quiet as to not wake Peter, “Officer Derrick Hoffman is on the line and would like to speak to you. He says it pertains to Mr. Parker.”

“Put it through to my phone, Fri. Tell him I need just a moment and leave him on hold,” Tony said, trying to figure out how to pry herself from Peter’s grip without waking him.

“Very well,” F.R.I.D.A.Y. replied.

Tony sighed and gently tried to pull away from the sleeping boy, starting by removing his arms from around her waist. She then cradled the back of his head and gently laid it down on the pillow behind him. Once he was settled, Tony stood from the bed and watched the boy. Peter then whined and wriggled as he was laid onto his back.

“It’s okay,” Tony whispered, “Go back to sleep, sweetheart.”

“M’mmy,” Peter whined, reaching out for Tony as she stood beside Peter’s side of the bed.

“I’ll be right back, Peter,” Tony assured the boy, “I have to answer the phone, I’ll just be in the hallway. I’ll be quick.”

“No,” Peter cried, his arms outstretched towards the genius, “Mommy stay.”

“I’ll be right back, baby,” Tony said gently, grabbing one of Peter’s hands and cradling it in her own, “I promise.”

Peter just continued to whine and gripped tightly onto Tony’s hand. Tony sighed sadly at the state of the boy and called to the ceiling, “Fri, give Peter a muted video feed of me in the hallway.”

“Certainly,” F.R.I.D.A.Y. announced, the large flat-screen TV on the wall then showed a view of the empty hallway.

“See,” Tony said, pointing to the TV, “You can watch me. I’ll be right there, okay? You can see me until I come back, okay?”

Peter looked up at the TV, his glossy eyes scanning the screen. He was silent for a moment, debating whether or not it was enough. He just wanted his mommy. He waited so long to get her, why did he have to wait even more? But, Peter wanted to be a good boy for his mommy. He didn’t want to make her mad, didn’t want to make her want to leave him or even hurt him.

“Okay,” Peter nodded, “Hurry?”

“I will,” Tony smiled at the boy, “I promise.”

Peter nodded once more but didn’t release his grip on Tony’s hand. Tony smiled sadly and pried her hand from the boy. 

“I’ll be right back,” Tony said as she grabbed her phone from the nightstand and exited the room.

Peter kept his gaze glued to the TV screen, his heart quieting down when he saw Tony standing in the hallway just outside the closed bedroom door.  _ Mommy’s here _ , he reminded himself,  _ She’s here. She’s here. She’s finally here.  _

Tony unlocked her phone to have the time, 8:42, shine in her face.  _ Hmm, _ She thought to herself,  _ we overslept. _ The genius took in a deep breath before taking the call on hold and putting the phone to her ear.

“Stark,” She greeted.

“Good morning, Ms. Stark,” Officer Hoffman said tiredly into the phone. It almost sounded like he had been working through the night on Peter’s case, “I have some updates on May Parker and what transpired here last night.”

“Okay,” Tony nodded, “What is it?”

“Wouldn’t you rather come in with Peter to hear it?” The man asked, “That way we can sign the documents that need to be signed and move forward?”

“Peter’s not feeling well, as you can imagine,” Tony said gently. It wasn’t a lie. Peter wasn’t sick or anything, he just hasn’t left his headspace yet. And was certainly not ready to face what would be the next step in this horrible situation that his aunt had put him through, “We can talk now, over the phone. Anything that needs my signature can be faxed over and I’ll have my lawyers look at it.”

“Well, Ms. Stark,” The officer cleared his throat, “May Parker is a strange one. She’s exercising her fifth amendment right and isn’t answering any of our questions pertaining to Peter’s accusations. She’s  _ also _ forfeited her right to an attorney. Which… doesn’t make a lick of sense but it’s what she insisted.”

“What?” Tony was bewildered. Not only was she not confessing to doing unspeakable things to a hurting child, but she also didn’t want any legal help? What was she doing? “So what does that mean? For Peter?”

“Well, I had some of my men go over to the Parkers’ apartment with a warrant to see if they could find any evidence of any abuse going on in the home,” The officer began, “And May’s diary was recovered. The hag had the gall to recount every time she hurt Peter in there, right beside her grocery lists.”

“Oh my god,” Tony’s heart fell into her stomach. Sure, she should be ecstatic that they had some sort of confession from May, that they could charge her and put her away. Far away from Peter. But, the whole thing made Tony want to vomit. It sent a chill down her spine and made her skin crawl.

“So, we’re proceeding in charging her with sodomy in the second degree, sexual abuse in the first degree, and course of sexual conduct against a child in the first degree. We have May Parker in custody and she’s going to be transferred sometime this week, once we decide where to place her,” Officer Hoffman sighed, “She has the right to a fair trial, so depending on how she pleas, Peter may need to go to court.”

“No,” Tony said reflexively, “You can’t make him do that. You can’t make him relive everything that monster did to him. You can’t.”

“Ms. Stark, I hope it doesn’t come to that. I hope Mrs. Parker comes to her senses and pleads guilty, knowing we have her diary transcripts. However, that plea may come with a deal. She might be serving a shorter sentence than a not guilty plea would give her.”

“I don’t care,” Tony shook her head, “She goes to prison, she has all ties cut from Peter. Permanently. She never sees him again, never speaks to him again. Period.”

“Well,” Officer Hoffman said, his voice having an optimistic lift, “Due to the sensitivity of this case and the evidence recovered from the Parker residence, Child Protective Services is ready to proceed in placing Peter in a permanent living situation.”

“What does that mean?” Tony said, fearing the worst. They couldn’t rip the boy from her cold dead hands. She was his mommy now, he needed her.

“That means you can start the process of legally adopting Peter if that’s what you still want to do,” The man said.

Tony sighed in relief, “Yes, of course. I want to start that immediately.”

“Okay,” Hoffman said with another tired sigh, “Since you and Peter can’t come in today, how about we send over the papers for emergency temporary guardianship? That way, Peter can remain in your care while you apply for adoption.”

“Sounds good,” Tony agreed, “The adoption… How does that…?”

“Well, you need to complete interviews, with and without Peter, home inspections, full evaluations of your ability to be Peter’s mother… It won’t be easy or fast, even a woman as wealthy and influential as you may have some difficulty getting through the process. But, if all is well, I wouldn’t worry too much about it. They’ll need to talk to Peter about how he feels about you adopting him, as he’s a 15-year-old CSA survivor.”

“Okay,” Tony swallowed hard, “But that won’t be for a while, right? I don’t think he’s ready for something like that right now.”

“Of course, Ms. Stark,” The officer agreed, “They want what’s best for the boy, they won’t do anything that he isn’t ready for.”

“Okay, that’s a relief,” Tony sighed, “Anything else?”

“No, that’s about it for now,” The officer replied, “We’ll send over those papers for you to sign and we’ll keep you updated on Mrs. Parker.”

“Alright, sounds good.”

“You and Peter have a good day, Ms. Stark. That kid needs it.”

“Yeah, he does,” Tony smiled, already missing the boy’s presence, “Thank you so much for your help.”

“Of course,” The man replied sincerely.

With that, the call ended and Tony took in a deep breath. She shut her eyes and continued to breathe deeply. She still couldn’t believe what was happening.

“Mommy!” Peter called from the bedroom. Tony smiled at the sound and pried her eyes open, making her way back into the room.

The boy was wrapped in her plush comforter, his mop of curly brown hair poking out where his head lay on the pillow. She smiled at the sight and made her way over.

“Hey, buddy,” Tony greeted softly as she reached the bed and sat beside Peter, “How are you feeling?”

“Missed you,” Peter said miserably, looking up at the billionaire with wide and sad eyes.

“I missed you too, sweetheart,” Tony said, placing a hand on the boy’s shoulder, “I’m here now.”

Peter reached a hand out from the blanket and held it out to the woman with a pleading look. Tony takes his hand and rubs her thumb across his knuckles. Peter’s gaze was trained on their hands as he interlocked their fingers. The genius smiles down at the boy and uses her free hand to comb her fingers through his hair. Peter smiles at the gesture and sighs contently.

“Are you hungry, sweetheart?” Tony asked, knowing the boy hasn’t eaten the entire time he’s been with her and doubting that he ate for a while before Tony came and got him at the police station, “Happy can bring us some breakfast.”

“Pancakes?” Peter said hopefully, his wide baby brown eyes lighting up.

“Whatever you want, baby,” Tony replied.

“Want pancakes,” Peter said simply, playing with Tony’s hand, “Please.”

“Sure thing,” Tony nodded before turning to F.R.I.D.A.Y.’s sensors, “Fri, tell Happy we want pancakes. Get some bacon and stuff too. Fresh fruit for the growing boy.” 

“Right away, boss,” The AI replied.

“Okay,” Tony smiled, turning back to Peter, “Pancakes are coming.”

“Thank you, mommy,” Peter smiled sweetly.

Warmth exploded in Tony’s chest and she had to repress the urge to pepper kisses over the boy’s adorable face. Her mind went back to the conversation she had with the officer from last night. She still worried about how teenage Peter was going to deal with what was happening, worried about how he had been dealing with it for the last decade. Little Peter seems easily consolable, just a hug and some snuggles seem to make him feel better after a while. 15-year-old Peter is stuck somewhere deep in his subconscious, probably begging to be brought to the surface. So that  _ he _ could get some comfort. So that he could get justice. 

“Hey, Peter,” Tony said gently, “Officer Hoffman called me.”

Peter was silent for a moment, returning to playing with Tony’s fingers in his hand.

“Who’s that?” He asked, curiously.

“He’s a friend,” Tony sighed, noting that Peter must’ve not remembered him due to being in his headspace, “He’s helping us. Helping you.”

“With what?” 

“He’s helping us keep you here with me so that you don’t have to.. Go… back,” Tony tried to put it delicately, not wanting to set the boy off so early.

“So you can be my mommy?” Peter looked up with hopeful eyes.

“Yeah,” Tony nodded, combing her fingers through his hair again, “He gave me some good news.”

“He said I could stay?!” Peter said excitedly, hopping up to sit upright and look at Tony.

“He said you can stay for a little bit,” Tony began, seeing Peter’s face fall immediately, “And then I need to work with some legal people so that I can be your mommy.”

“Why?” Peter asked with a pout.

“Because they need to be sure I’ll be a good mommy,” Tony said with a smile, “If they don’t think I’ll be a good mommy, then they won’t want me being your mommy.”

“But,” Peter’s lip quivered. Tony almost regretted bringing it up, but she had to be honest with the boy. Peter’s face melted into anger as he crossed his arms over his chest, “But, I want you to be my mommy! I don’t care what they want!”

“I know, Peter,” Tony sighed, “But we have to cooperate with them, honey. That’s the law.”

“The law is stupid!” Peter started to shout, “You’re  _ my _ mommy! Not  _ their  _ mommy! They shouldn’t get to decide!”

“Hey,” Tony said quietly, hoping Peter would take notice of how loud he was being, “There’s no reason to shout, Peter.”

Peter’s mouth snapped shut and his eyes fell to his lap. The teen uncrossed his arms and hugged himself loosely with a small grimace on his face, “Sorry, mommy. I didn’t mean to be bad.”

Tony’s face fell and she reached out to console the boy. She didn’t mean to make him feel bad, she just wanted to calm him down. 

“You’re not bad, Peter,” Tony assured him with a small smile, “You’re still a good boy. Even when you shout.”

“I am?” Peter asked as he looked up at Tony with an unsure gaze. 

“You are,” Tony nodded, “You’re the best boy. Shouting isn’t very kind, but I understand that you’re just upset. You don't mean to be unkind. Right?”

“Yeah,” Peter said, his voice cracking. Tony knew the boy was on the verge of tears, so she pulled him close and hugged him tightly. 

Peter melted into the embrace and sniffled. Tony held him against herself, rocking him slowly as she reassured him, “You’re not bad, Peter. I’m not mad at you either, honey.”

“You’re not?” Peter asked with a shaky voice. Tony held the boy tighter and pressed a kiss to the top of his head. 

“No, I’m not mad,” Tony said, “I just don't want you to get so worked up so early in the morning. You haven’t even had your breakfast yet, kiddo.”

Peter rubbed his face, likely ridding himself of his tears, onto Tony’s shirt before looking up at her. 

“Mommy still love me?” Peter asked, a look of fear flashed across his face as the words left his mouth. 

“Peter,” Tony began immediately, “I will always love you. No matter what. There’s nothing you could do to ever make me stop loving you. Okay?”

Peter contemplated for a second before he nodded. He liked the sound of that. He leaned against Tony’s chest, resting his head on her shoulder. 

“Love you too, Mommy,” He said softly. Tony’s heart fluttered and she smiled down at her sweet boy before pressing a kiss onto the top of his head once more.

“How about we watch some TV while we wait for pancakes?” Tony suggested. Peter nodded and maneuvered himself so that he was still sitting next to Tony, but now facing the TV. The boy rested his head back onto her shoulder and wrapped both of his arms around Tony’s arm that was closest to him. 

“Fri, put on one of Peter’s shows,” Tony called to her trusty AI, “One of the animated ones.”

“Very well, Boss,” F.R.I.D.A.Y. replied dutifully as cover art for a few of the animated shows that Peter frequented while at Stark Tower popped up on the screen, “Would you like to choose, Peter? Or shall I select one at random?”

“Mighty B!” Peter said cheerfully, “Play Mighty B!”

Without a response, F.R.I.D.A.Y. began playing The Mighty B for Peter who wiggled in excitement against Tony’s side, causing the billionaire to giggle.

The two sat on Tony’s bed for about a half an hour, allowing Peter to get through about an episode and a half before they were interrupted.

“Boss, Happy Hogan has arrived with breakfast,” F.R.I.D.A.Y. chimed.

When Peter didn’t react to his pancakes arriving, Tony turned to the boy and tried to get his attention.

“Our pancakes are here, Petey Pie,” Tony said, trying to instill more excitement in her voice than she actually felt.

“Pancakes?” Peter said, his head whipping towards the woman and staring up at her with wide eyes.

“Yeah,” Tony nodded, “How about we go meet Happy so we can eat some?”

Peter turned back to the TV, with a clear look of confliction on his face. He really was hungry, it’s been so long since he last ate a hot meal, almost 40 some hours. But, he also really liked The Mighty B and didn’t want to stop watching.

“Peter,” Tony began, “We can watch more cartoons when you’re done eating. But you need to eat first, okay?”

Peter’s attention didn’t leave the TV for a long moment, causing Tony to fear that she’d have to be more stern with the boy. She’d definitely played bad cop with Peter before, whenever he broke the strict curfew that Tony had set for him while he was patrolling (which he did a lot, but now it’s clearer as to why he had such a strong aversion to going home). But, she didn’t want to have to get stern with Peter, certainly not now, and not while he was in his headspace.

“Okay, mommy,” Peter sighed and looked up at the woman, “I’m hungry.”

“Then let’s go, buddy,” Tony said as she started to get up, Peter still latched to her arm followed closely. The two made their way down to the kitchen, Peter never relinquishing his grip on Tony.

Upon entering the kitchen, Tony noticed Happy standing next to the kitchen island with his hands in his jacket pockets.

“Mornin’, Happy,” Peter smiled sweetly. Tony was relieved that Peter knew Happy, even in his headspace. He must’ve been in his headspace while around Happy before. Happy had brought up Peter’s “juvenile” behavior, but only once. It was more out of concern than out of judgment. At the time, Tony shrugged it off.  _ Some kids just mature faster than others _ , she rationalized.

“Good morning, Pete.” Happy nodded before addressing Tony, “Food’s all here. I also brought you coffee and the kid some hot chocolate.”

“Thanks, Hap,” Tony replied, leading Peter over to the kitchen island that held their breakfast.

“Anything else you two need?” Happy asked.

“No, I—” Tony began, “Actually…”

Tony then looked at the boy still latched to her arm, his eyes wide at the sight of all the food in front of him. Peter had slept in his jeans and hoodie last night since Tony didn’t even think about changing the kid. She felt bad, that must’ve been uncomfortable for him. He had  _ some _ clothes here at the tower, in his bedroom. But, it was mostly whatever clothes he left here on accident (which was a lot, even for a forgetful teenage boy). Tony then turned to the boy and gently asked, “Hey, Petey?”

Peter hummed and looked up at her.

“Do you want Happy to go to your apartment and get your stuff? Like your clothes, and your backpack and things?”

Peter’s little face fell and his eyes dropped to the floor.

“Do, um,” Peter stammered, “Do I have to go with him?”

“No, honey,” Tony shook her head, “He can go for you. You can stay here with me while he goes.”

“Okay,” Peter nodded, “then that’s okay.”

“Alright,” Tony nodded and turned back to Happy, “You heard the kid. We need his stuff out of there.”

“You got it,” Happy agreed and turned to leave.

“Bye, Happy!” Peter called after him, releasing one of his arms from Tony and waving at the leaving man.

Once Happy was gone, Peter turned back to the food.

“Pancakes?”

“Yeah, let’s have some pancakes,” Tony nodded with a warm smile before going to the kitchen cabinet and retrieving plates. She handed one to Peter and started unpacking the hot food on the kitchen island.

“Looks like we got,” Tony began as she checked through all of the containers, “Chocolate chip, blueberry, cinnamon, and banana nutella.”

Peter’s eyes widened as his mouth began to water. Tony then turned to the boy and asked, “What kind do you want, baby?”

Peter contemplated for a second, looking at each of the different kinds of pancakes closely.

“Can I have chocolate chip?” Peter asked with a small voice, “Please?”

“Of course you can,” Tony nodded before serving two large steaming chocolate chip pancakes onto his plate, “Did you want just chocolate chips or did you want a different kind too?”

“I can have two kinds?” Peter asked with a tone of surprise in his voice.

“You can have some of all of them if you want, Peter,” Tony replied kindly, being mindful of Peter’s headspace. She couldn’t talk to him like a teenager, because he technically wasn’t one right now. Tony had to be gentle and patient with him like she would if Peter were an actual toddler.

“Ca’ I have cinnamon too please, mama?” Peter asked sweetly.

“Of course, baby boy,” Tony said before pressing a kiss to the boy’s temple and serving him two more pancakes, this time cinnamon. 

“We also have some eggs and bacon. And make sure to get plenty of this fresh fruit, please.”

“Yes, mama,” Peter nodded dutifully before piling fruit onto another smaller plate and snagging a few strips of bacon.

“No eggs?” Tony asked as she served herself blueberry pancakes and some fruit.

“No thank you,” Peter shook his head before grabbing a fork from one of the catering bags.

“Okay,” Tony nodded, “Well if you want more food, help yourself. Or I can help you if you need it.”

“Okay, mommy. Thank you,” Peter said as he attempted to hold a plate in each hand and carry them to the dining room table. Before he could even lift the plates from the counter, Tony intercepted one and carried it for him, saying, “use both hands, please. Don’t drop your fruit.”

“Okay, mommy,” Peter said as he was careful in transporting his plate of fruit and bacon to the dining room table. When he entered the dining-room he saw Tony placing the plates in front of two chairs beside themselves. Upon hearing him enter, the billionaire turned to the boy.

“Do you want hot chocolate?” She asked.

“Yes, please,” Peter said, sitting down in front of his pancakes.

“Okay, I’ll get you some while I get some coffee. I’ll be right back,” Tony said as she made her way out of the door and back to the kitchen.

“Okay, mommy,” Peter said, shoving some fresh grapes into his mouth. Tony smiled at the sight of him and went to retrieve their drinks. She poured herself a mug full of hot coffee and downed it in one long draw. The genius took in a breath of air before immediately refilling the mug with the bitter hot liquid. She then got a “Peter mug” from the cabinet, some of her smaller and pop-culture-themed mugs that the boy loved to drink from. This time, it was an Invader ZIM mug. Tony filled the cartoon mug with warm hot chocolate, taking a small sip to test the temperature. The liquid wasn’t too hot, surely not hot enough to burn Peter, but most likely hot enough to startle the boy into thinking he’s been burnt. She turned to the fridge and got out a can of whipped cream, also in stock just for the boy sitting in the dining room. Tony took the can and shook it in one hand while reaching into her freezer for an ice cube in the other. She turned back to the mug and dropped the ice cube in before spraying in a generous swirl of cool whipped cream.

“That should do it,” Tony muttered to herself before returning to the dining room with both mugs in hand. 

Upon entering the dining room, Tony noticed Peter struggling to bite his pancakes. The boy had an entire pancake clinging to his fork as he lifted it above his head, attempting to take a bite out of the dangling breakfast treat.

“Peter,” Tony giggled at the sight of his struggle, “What are you doing, kiddo?”

Peter dropped the fork and pancake onto his plate with a loud clatter. The boy then pouted and crossed his arms over his chest, “Can’t do it.”

“What’s the matter?” Tony asked, setting down the hot chocolate in front of him.

“Too big,” Peter muttered angrily, “Can’t bite it.”

“Do you want me to cut it up for you?” Tony asked gently, not wanting to upset the boy over something so trivial as pancakes.

Peter’s annoyed expression melted into a sadder one. He turned to the woman and sighed sadly. “Yes, please.”

“Don’t be sad, sweetheart,” Tony soothed, “I can help you. Whenever you need anything, you can ask me. Okay?”

Peter nodded. With confirmation, Tony began cutting up the boy’s pancakes into smaller pieces with a plastic knife she had snagged from the catering bag on her way over the first time. 

“There,” Tony said upon finishing, “Is that better?”

Peter tentatively picked up his fork and stabbed a piece of pancake before putting it into his mouth. The boy hummed pleasantly as the warm fluffy treat finally made its way in. He smiled and chewed pleasantly before doing a little wiggle dance in his seat, causing Tony to smile.

“Good?” Tony asked amusedly.

“Mhm,” Peter nodded as he swallowed his food, “Thank you, mommy.”

“Anything for you, baby,” Tony said before taking her seat next to Peter, cutting up her own food and digging in herself. Tony could feel herself already getting used to this. 


	6. five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey! sorry it's been so long! D;
> 
> I've been mega tired and like highkey not into it lately. If you really want to see more, please let me know! The more comments I get in support, the more encouraged I get to make more. But lately, It's just been a friggin struggle. This is the only story of mine that has a back-logged chapter ready before one gets posted. AND, it's the longest average chapter of all of them... so this one takes a teeny bit longer.
> 
> But either way! I am very sorry for the wait. I hope you like it.

Peter shifted uncomfortably in his seat as he continued to stuff tiny pieces of pancake into his mouth. He really was starving. The last hot meal he had was the early dinner of spaghetti and meatballs that Tony had made him the day before yesterday. Yesterday, he only had two sandwiches and lots of chips. He had snacked a lot at Ned’s house, after getting there after school. When Mrs. Leeds invited him to stay for dinner, Peter was in the middle of a panic attack and couldn’t answer. 

He had just told Ned his secret, and he was unraveling. Peter tried his hardest to not regress, but he  _ really _ didn’t want to deal with that right then. Thankfully, Ned was quick to say Peter  _ had _ to stay for dinner. Instead of eating, however, Peter just pushed the rice and adobo across the plate. Normally, he loved Mrs. Leeds’ adobo and inhaled it before politely accepting the offer for seconds. But he felt sick to his stomach and was well on his way to regressing. And when he was regressed, he apparently didn’t care for adobo much. 

That alarmed Mrs. Leeds, who asked the two silent boys if anything had happened or if something was wrong or if Peter was sick or needed to go home early. At the sound of Peter going home, Ned had looked up at his mother with a look of alarm and immediately denied. To keep his mother from sending Peter back to a woman that abuses him, he immediately caved in and told her what Peter had told him, begging for her to help him. Peter  _ couldn’t _ go back to May, he absolutely couldn’t.

Back in the present, Tony noticed the boy’s change in demeanor. He was still eating, which was a good sign. But he looked pained, uncomfortable.

“What’s wrong, Pete?” Tony asked softly, setting her fork down and looking at the boy.

Peter slowed down his chewing considerably, keeping his eyes glued to his plate. The boy sat silently and contemplated for a long moment before swallowing and looking up at his mentor,

“Have you talked to the police officer yet?” He asked quietly, the feeling of not knowing his fate left him very uneasy. 

He only remembers bits and pieces of the night before. He remembers telling Ned, having dinner with him and his mom, then his memory blanks. Then, he remembers sitting in a room with Ned, Mrs. Leeds, and a police officer as his mouth moved faster than his brain as he retold some of the horrors May imposed onto him. Then, his memory blanks once again. 

And suddenly, he’s waking up in a bed that isn’t his. But he knows whose it is, It’s Ms. Stark’s. Peter’s fallen asleep there plenty of times before, little and big. Regressed or not, Peter loves cuddling with the genius and allowing her warmth, protection, and comfort to lull him to sleep comes easily.

“Are you ready to talk about it, Pete?” Tony asked gently, wanting to be sure he wasn’t in between headspaces right now.

“I just,” Peter’s throat swelled with anxiety. He swallowed hard, screwing his eyes shut.

“Peter,” Tony said softly, placing a hand on top of the teen’s, “It’s okay. You’re safe.”

Peter’s hand instinctively turned over and grasped hers, interlacing their fingers once again.

“It’s okay, sweetheart,” Tony put her other hand on the boy’s shoulder. Peter took in a deep breath before finally opening his eyes and looking up at the woman.

“I’m really sorry, Ms. Stark,” Peter sighed.

“Peter,” Tony exhaled sadly, “You have  _ nothing _ to be sorry for, kiddo. You didn’t do anything wrong. What happened to you i—”

“No, that’s not,” Peter shook his head, his hand surprisingly clutched Tony’s tighter, “I meant I’m sorry that they called you and that you had to come to get me. And that you had to take me here and that I was being a stupid baby and you had to take care of me. I—”

“Peter,” Tony cut him off and shook her head, “You  _ certainly _ do not need to apologize for any of that either. I’m glad they called me. I’m glad you trusted me enough to come with me when you needed help. I'm beyond grateful that I was able to be there for you when you needed someone.”

“I just,” Peter’s voice started to wobble, his eyes falling to their interlocked hands, “I know you never wanted kids… and I can be a real baby sometimes and I just… I can’t ask you for any more than you’ve already done for me…”

“Peter,” Tony frowned, reaching the hand on the boy’s shoulder to comb through his curls, “I  _ didn’t _ want any kids… Not until I met you.”

“What?” Peter asked, his head whipping up to look at the woman incredulously.

“I didn’t want kids until we started spending more time together. I ended up growing quite fond of you. After a while, I figured having a kid couldn’t be so bad if my kid was even half as amazing as you.”

“You don’t mean that,” Peter turned away, to keep Tony from seeing the tears welling in his eyes. Yet, his hand never left hers. 

“I do,” Tony said with every ounce of truth in her body, “You mean the world to me, Pete. Hearing what you’ve been going through… It absolutely broke my heart. To know that something so terrible happened to such a sweet kid… I can’t believe I let something like that happen right in front of me.”

“No, Ms. Stark,” Peter quickly shook his head and looked up at the genius with tears in his eyes, “I tried… so hard… For so long. To keep it a secret. From everyone. And when I met you, you were the last person I wanted to find out… I didn’t want you to think any less of me.”

“You know I don’t think any less of you, right?” Tony said gently, “If anything, I admire your strength tenfold.”

“Really?” Peter squeaked. That was the last thing he ever expected to hear. He figured if anyone ever found out what May had done to him that they’d either think he was weak and leave him forever, or realize that he was easily taken advantage of and take some of him for themselves. Just. Like. May.

“Really,” Tony nodded, “I couldn’t possibly allow something like that taint the admiration I have for you. Ever.”

“But,” Peter whimpered, “I’m used. Dirty. Weak. Pathetic.” Those words left Peter’s lips like they were meant to. He knew exactly what he was, and he was all of those things. He’d known for a long time what May had done to him, and what it left him.

“Hey,” Tony began sternly, “I don’t want to hear you talk like that. It’s not true. You may feel that way now, and maybe even for a while. But it’s not true, Peter. You have to believe that.”

“But,” Peter shook his head in disbelief.

“Peter, listen to me,” Tony said, her voice not leaving any room for argument, “Something like this… It changes you. It does. But that doesn’t mean it changes you for the worse. You’re still an incredible kid. None of the things you think about yourself are true. Just because this has been happening to you, doesn’t mean you’re dirty or weak.”

“How do you know?” Peter asked, giving the billionaire’s hand a squeeze. She squeezed back before saying,

“Do you think any of those things about me?” 

At that, Peter’s mouth flew open in shock. Of course, he didn’t think any of those things about Ms. Stark! How could he? She was the strongest and most amazing woman he’s ever known.

“Of course not, Ms. Stark!” Peter gasped.

“Well,” Tony said simply, “There you go. Being a victim of sexual abuse as a child doesn’t mean you’re weak, or used, or dirty, or any of those nasty things your brain is telling you. It just means someone that knows better took advantage of you because you trusted them. I know that because I’ve been in your shoes. And I’ve grown and healed from that. And just because it happened to me, doesn’t make me any of those things, does it?”

“Ms. Stark,” Peter’s lip wobbled as tears came rushing to his eyes. He had no idea his mentor had been through the same thing he had. She exuded so much confidence and security, especially with her own body. Those were two things he never had; two things May had taken from him all those years ago, “I- I didn’t—”

“It’s okay, sweetheart,” Tony shrugged, “That was a long time ago. And I’ll be honest. It did change me. I dealt with it poorly and it created more problems even years after it stopped. I don’t want that for you, Peter. I want you to know how loved you are. How absolutely adored you are. How amazing you are, despite what you’ve been through. I want you to heal from this the way I wished I could have. And I’m going to help you get that if you'll let me.”

“So,” Peter sobbed, “I can stay?”

“Oh, baby,” Tony cooed and pulled the boy into her arms. The last thing Tony wanted was for Peter to think she was going to send him away. She really  _ did _ adore the boy and had come to terms long ago that she’d do anything to keep him safe and happy. Knowing that he needed her so desperately, broke her heart. Even though she’d give Peter anything he needed, without a doubt, she still couldn’t help but hurt over all the pain the boy was going through.

Peter immediately melted into her embrace and buried his face in her neck. He vaguely remembers little Peter begging for a Mommy, and is almost positive Tony agreed to be his. Otherwise, she would’ve been awkwardly avoiding him, right? 

While big Peter never wanted to admit to his deep-rooted Mommy issues, he knew he’s always ached for a mother. For a woman to envelope him with love and protection, the way he knows Mary did before she died and the way he wished May had after he moved in with her. Even big Peter was desperate for that maternal affection from Ms. Stark once he got comfortable around her. He was just jealous of little Peter for having the courage to finally ask.

“I’m never letting you go back to that monster,” Tony said seriously, “You’re here with me, where you’re safe, loved, and protected. I know little Peter wanted a Mommy, and I can be that for him. I  _ will _ be that for him. And if you don’t want that, that’s okay. I can just be your mentor. But no matter what happens, you’re going to stay here. At least until May gets put away. If you don’t want to stay with me forever, then we’ll figure something out. But if you do, this is your home now. And it always will be, okay? You always have a home here. You always have a home with me.”

“Mom,” Peter sobbed and clung to the woman desperately as he crawled into her lap, “I want a mom. Please.”

“Of course, my love,” Tony hummed, hugging the boy tightly, “Whatever you need, Peter.”

“Mommy,” Peter gasped, his body shaking as he sobbed loudly.

“It’s okay, baby,” Tony said softly, rocking the boy back and forth, “I’m here, baby.”

“M-mommy,” Peter continued to cry and hug the woman tightly, “Mommy!”

“It’s okay, baby boy. You’re okay. Mommy’s here.” Tony soothed, holding the boy securely and pressing light kisses to the crown of his head, “Mommy loves you, and will always protect you.”

“Mommy,” Peter whimpered, mashing his face into the crook of her neck. Tony could feel his tears sticking to her skin. She just continued to rock the boy and softly recite words of comfort. After a few long minutes, Peter’s sobbing was reduced to sniffles and hiccups. Tony continued to rock him and press kisses to his hair. After a few more minutes, Peter sat up in Tony’s lap, his face now visible to the genius. The boy scrubbed at his eyes with the sweater paws that his oversized hoodie gave him.

Once he was done, he looked up at Tony with a small pout. Tony frowned and brushed the curls out of Peter’s eyes. 

“Are you okay, Peter?” She asked quietly, being mindful that he could either be 15 or 4 at that very moment.

“Don’ know,” Peter shrugged, “Head hurts.”

“You’ve been doing a lot of crying. You need some water.” Tony said matter-of-factly.

“You never answered my question, Ms. Stark,” Peter mumbled, toying with the drawstring on his hoodie.

“About Officer Hoffman?” Tony asked, to which Peter nodded.

“He called me this morning,” Tony said quietly, “He said I can start the adoption process if that’s what we wanted to do.”

“What about…” Peter said, his voice barely a whisper.

“She’s…” Tony replied, knowingly, “They found evidence to back up what you told them. She’s not answering any of their questions. But, they have enough to press charges.”

“So,” Peter began slowly, “She’s not… gonna… come back and get me?”

“Never,” Tony replied, immediately. Prison or not, May would never hurt Peter again. He’d never be stuck with that woman for the rest of his life if Tony had anything to do about it, “They’re going to put her in prison for what she did to you. And you’re going to stay here with me, and I’m going to protect you. Okay?”

Peter nodded minutely, leaning over and hugging the billionaire.

“It’s going to be okay, kiddo,” Tony said, hugging the boy tightly. The two held each other for a few minutes before Peter pulled away and sat up again in Tony’s lap. He stared at the genius with his doe eyes, warming Tony’s heart. She smiled and combed her fingers through his curls before cupping his cheek with her palm. Peter leaned into her touch, reaching up and placing his own hand on top of hers.

“Peter,” Tony began gently, to which Peter hummed in acknowledgment, “How old are you?”

“I ‘unno,” Peter shrugged.

“Okay,” Tony nodded, pressing a kiss to the boy’s cheek, “That’s okay.”

“Mommy,” Peter began, his hand still encompassing Tony’s on his cheek, “Ca’ I watch Mighty B?”

“Are you done with your breakfast?” Tony asked, turning her gaze to the boy’s abandoned food, “That’s an awful lot of fruit still left on your plate.”

“Wanna watch Mighty B!” Peter whined, leaning more of his weight into Tony’s hand.

“How about this,” Tony began, “You take your fruit and a glass of water with you to the couch. You can watch whatever you want, but only if you promise to finish your fruit  _ and _ your water. Think you can do that for me?”

“Yes,” Peter nodded enthusiastically, “I can do that.”

“Good boy,” Tony smiled, removing her hand from Peter’s face, “Take your fruit and have F.R.I.D.A.Y. help you with the TV, I’ll be right in with your water. Okay?”

“Okay, mommy,” Peter hopped up and grabbed his fruit plate before bounding over to the living room. Tony smiled and sat for a moment, taking a deep breath. The genius picked up her mug and took a long drink of coffee. 

“Are you done with your hot chocolate, Petey?” Tony called after the boy as she stood, clearing their plates.

“Oh!” Peter exclaimed, the sound of his feet quickly padding over brought a grin to Tony’s face, “I forgot!”

“Here, you take it with you,” Tony said as she handed the mug to the boy, “both hands, please.”

“Okay,” Peter nodded determinedly, “Thank you, mommy.”

“You’re welcome, bug,” Tony replied, collecting all the dishes and making her way to the kitchen. She filled a glass cup with water before worrying about Peter dropping and breaking it. It wasn't an unfounded worry, the boy had done it before. So instead, Tony decided to grab a plastic cup from the cabinet and fill that with water for the boy. The plastic cups weren’t necessarily for Peter, but they had a prolonged use after Peter came into Tony’s life. They were initially a gift from Pepper, years ago. Her reasoning was ‘ _ You know how drunk people always drop shit? This will save me a headache.’ _

After Tony went sober, the plastic cups just served as a reminder of some of her darkest days. She pushed them to the back of the cabinet after a while. Then Peter came along, and he dropped and broke a glass cup the second or third time he ever came up to the penthouse. 

_ Tony wasn’t bothered, just worried the boy might cut himself on the broken glass. Nevertheless, Peter immediately freaked out and began spewing tearful apologies, begging to clean it up before being punished. Before Tony could even respond, Peter fell to his knees and began to pick up the shards of glass with his bare hands, causing Tony to kneel beside him and hold his hands in hers.  _

_ “Peter, it’s okay,” Tony said gently, “You’re not in trouble. I’m not mad. Don't hurt yourself, kid.” _

“Mommy!” Peter called from the living room. 

“Coming,” Tony called out, refilling her mug before taking the cups with her to the living room.

“What’s the matter, Petey pie?” Tony asked as she entered the living room, smiling at the sight and sound of The Mighty B playing on the large TV.

“Missed you,” Peter shrugged, taking a sip of his lukewarm hot chocolate. Tony smiled and leaned over the back of the couch where Peter was sitting and pressed a kiss to his cheek.

“Here’s your water,” Tony said, handing the boy the plastic cup of water, “Drink all of it, it’ll help your head.”

“Okay, mama,” Peter nodded, turning to take the cup into his hand. Tony rounded the front of the couch and sat beside Peter. The boy took a large gulp of water before setting his cup onto the coffee table. He then leaned back and snuggled into Tony’s side. Tony smiled and wrapped an arm around him, pulling him closer. Peter smiled and cuddled close to the billionaire, sighing with contentment.

“Love you, mommy,” Peter said softly.

“I love you too, Peter,” Tony replied, laying a hand on the center of the boy’s back. The two sat for a while, with the Mighty B playing in the background. After a while, Peter shifted in his seat uncomfortably. It was then that Tony remembered the boy was still in his dirty jeans and sweatshirt. Guilt bloomed in her chest as she realized she should have made sure the boy was as comfortable as possible.

“Do you want to change, baby?” Tony said, sitting up and bringing the boy to also sit upright.

“Didn’ bring any comfy clothes,” Peter mumbled, not taking his eyes off the television.

“I’m sure you have some here,” Tony said, standing and holding a hand out to Peter, “Let’s find you some clean and comfy clothes. You can change after a shower. How’s that sound?”

“Shower?” Peter whipped his head to look at the woman, fear clear on his face. Peter’s never really taken a full shower in the time he’s spent at the tower. He’s had to wash his lower half before, after having wet the bed. It took a lot of tears and Tony’s gentle encouragement to even get him to agree to do that. Tony understands Peter’s fear of showering, as a CSA survivor herself. When she was growing up, she refused to ever be left that vulnerable, especially if Obadiah was around. (Which he often was). 

“Peter,” Tony began gently taking a seat again beside him, “I promise, you’re safe here. No one’s going to hurt you.”

“Mommy,” Peter’s eyes were wide with sadness and fear as tears prickled, “Scared.”

“I know, baby,” Tony said sadly, grabbing a hold of the boy’s hand and brushing her thumb gently across his knuckles, “But you’re safe here.”

“Mommy come with me?” Peter asked with a tiny voice, looking at Tony with a look of desperation.

Tony was worried. Maybe the whole age regression thing was hurting Peter more than it was helping. He was scared of things and clearly was developing strong codependency. Then again, Tony knows from personal experience that 15-year-old Peter would probably have the same irrational fear.

Despite logically knowing May was under arrest, being charged for what she did, all the way across town from him while he was in one of the most heavily secured buildings on the east coast, his mind must’ve been nagging him to be vigilant. She was also worried by the idea of accompanying Peter in the bathroom as he showered. Surely, that would be a bad idea. Right?

Tony never would have wanted either of her parents to accompany her for a shower, especially after the abuse started. But, Tony had to remind herself that she wasn’t her parents, nor was she Peter in either role. She and Peter clearly dealt with their trauma differently, and Tony wasn’t sure if she found that fact comforting or not. Either way, Tony knew she’d give Peter everything her parents never gave her. She  _ had  _ to.

“Peter,” Tony repeated, “May can’t get you anymore. She’s far away and I’m going to protect you. Okay?”

“Please,” Peter pleaded, gripping the hand Tony was using to comfort Peter into both of his own, “Please, Mommy. Don’t wanna go alone.”

“Okay,” Tony sighed, she didn’t want to make this any more difficult than it had to be. If Peter wanted her there, she’d be there, “But if you get uncomfortable and want me to step out, you have to tell me. Okay?”

“Okay,” Peter nodded quickly, “I promise.”

“Good,” Tony smiled. The genius stood up, hoisting Peter up with her, “Fri, pause the TV.”

Without a word, the cartoon was paused. The two walked, hand-in-hand, to Peter’s bedroom.

“Let’s find you some comfy clothes,” Tony said as she released her grip on the boy’s hand and made her way to his wardrobe. She rifled through the chest of drawers and pulled out a pair of fluffy sweatpants and a plain t-shirt, “This okay?”

Peter looked over the clothes in her hands and contemplated, “Ca’ still wear this?” 

Peter pulled at the hem of his sweatshirt. Tony noticed it had a few spots on it and the ends of the sleeves were frayed and worn.

“How about I get you some new clothes?” Tony suggested gently, not wanting to agitate the boy.

“But,” Peter said hesitantly, “Cold.”

“We can turn up the heat in here,” Tony nodded understandingly, “Or you can borrow one of mine.”

“Okay,” Peter nodded, “Thank you, Mommy.”

“Of course, sweetheart,” Tony said, turning to the bathroom, “What’s mine is yours.”

Tony opened the door to Peter’s ensuite bathroom, gesturing for him to enter.

“How about I stand outside while you shower?” Tony suggested, just making sure Peter was 100% comfortable with Tony being in the bathroom while he showered.

“No!” Peter exclaimed, looking at Tony with another fearful look, “Mommy, please!”

“Okay,” Tony sighed, “Okay, okay. I’m sorry, Pete. I’ll stay, I promise.”

Peter sighed in relief before rushing into Tony’s arms, burrowing close into her chest.

“It’s okay, sweetheart,” Tony soothed, cradling the teen in her arms, “I’ll be here the whole time, okay? Nothing’s going to happen to you.”

Peter nodded against Tony’s chest, before pulling away.

“Do you need help turning on the shower?” Tony asked.

“Yes, please,” Peter whimpered, his hands clutching the back of Tony’s shirt.

“Okay,” Tony nodded, rubbing a hand comfortingly up and down Peter’s spine, “I can do that.”

Peter reluctantly unlatched himself from Tony, allowing her to turn on the shower for him. The billionaire took a moment to make sure the water was neither too warm nor too cold, just for Peter.

“Come feel the water, baby,” Tony said, turning to the boy with her hand still under the running water, “Let me know if you want it warmer or cooler.”

Peter came over and put his hand under the showerhead, which he immediately retracted.

“Cold,” Peter mumbled, cradling his hand to his chest.

“Okay,” Tony nodded, adjusting the water temperature accordingly, “How about now?”

Peter tried again, leaving his hand under the water for longer this time, “‘s good, mama.”

A grin appeared on Tony’s face as warmth spread throughout her chest. In the last few hours, every time Peter called her Mommy or Mama warmed her heart. Tony never thought anything could have happened to fill her with this much love. She never thought she’d ever have her own family. A lot of that stemmed from Obadiah. He made her feel unworthy of love like that. He made her feel dirty, used, and weak. Peter never made her feel anything like that. He made her feel strong, compassionate, and loved.

“Okay,” Tony nodded, “Hop in.”

Right before Peter could strip his clothes, Tony turned to face the door to give him some privacy.

“Mommy stay?” Peter asked with his tiny voice. Tony, without turning around, replied, “Yes, Petey. I’ll be right here.”

“Okay,” Peter, once again, sighed in relief. Tony could hear the sound of clothes dropping to the floor followed by the shower door opening. She waited for a long minute before realizing she didn't hear him step into the shower, or close the door behind him.

“Everything okay, Peter?” Tony asked.

“Mommy,” Peter said, fear and hesitation obvious.

“What’s the matter?” Tony asked, still not turning around.

“Scared,” Peter whimpered.

“What are you scared of, Peter? I’m right here, baby.”

“No shower,” Peter said before Tony could hear his bare feet padding over to her. Then, she felt his side curl up against her back, his arms snaking around her waist.

“Okay, sweetheart,” Tony sighed, resting her hands over Peter’s arms on her hips, “How about a bath?”

Peter was silent for a few moments before she heard him ask with a hopeful tone, “With bubbles?”

“Sure, kiddo,” Tony chuckled, “I got some bubbles you can use.”

“Mommy help me?” Peter asked with the same tone.

“Do you need my help?” Tony asked hesitantly. She was still very unsure about being around Peter in such situations, fearing the boy would suddenly freak out once he realized he was nude with her in the room. The boy was just beginning the very early stages of healing from his trauma. He just escaped the active nightmare yesterday, and yet he was surprisingly begging to have Tony there in his most vulnerable state.

“Yes,” Peter said dejectedly, wanting nothing more than to have his mommy with him the whole time. He trusted his mommy when she said she’d protect him. So, if his mommy was always with him, he’d always be safe.

“Okay,” Tony nodded, lightly patting the boy’s arms with her hand, “Wrap yourself with a towel and I’ll take you to the tub.”

Peter’s bathroom only had a standing shower with a waterfall showerhead, a luxury beyond anything he’d ever experience in his own home. But, Tony had a large jacuzzi bath in her own ensuite bathroom. She found hot baths incredibly soothing after Pepper talked her into taking one not long after the battle of New York to calm her nerves. It helped, the hot water and expensive bath salts and all. It relaxed her muscles and eased her anxiety. Now that Peter was going to be living at the tower, she figured she could have a tub put into his bathroom too.

“Okay,” Peter said, releasing his grip around Tony to grab a towel off the rack, wrapping it around his shoulders and bunching up the ends in front of his chest, allowing the large fabric to drape down his back like a cape. He adjusted the towel to cover his butt, then again to cover his private parts too. He trusted his Mommy, he really did. He just was very sensitive about certain areas on his body, as he would sometimes feel May’s phantom touch searing on his skin. 

“Are you decent?” Tony asked in Peter’s silence.

“Mhm!” Peter hummed affirmatively.

“Okay,” Tony said, turning around and smiling at the sight of him holding the towel like a cape. Thankfully, he  _ was _ decent and Tony’s oversized Turkish cotton towels covered all of Peter, save for his calves and feet. She went to turn off the shower, pressing a kiss to the top of Peter’s head as she passed him. Once the shower was off, she turned around to lead the boy to her ensuite bathroom just to see him standing there, looking up at her with an adoring smile.

“C’mon, sweetheart,” Tony smiled, wrapping an arm around his shoulder, “Let’s get you into the bath.”

“With bubbles?” Peter asked again, his voice indicating excitement.

“With lots of bubbles,” Tony affirmed, leading him out of the bathroom.

Once they got to her bathroom, Tony drew a warm bath. She opted to leave the jacuzzi jets off as Peter most likely wasn’t used to a jacuzzi tub.

“Okay, this is going to fill up with warm water,” Tony began, turning to Peter who had since taken a seat on top of the closed toilet lid, waiting for his bath to be ready, “I’m going to get you a sweatshirt to change into once you’re done. Please be careful while I’m not in here, okay?”

“Okay, mommy. I stay here,” Peter nodded obediently, tightly wrapping the towel tightly around himself.

“Fri, can I get a little more heat in the penthouse?” Tony asked her dutiful AI as she noticed Peter must’ve been cold with no clothes on.

“Certainly,” F.R.I.D.A.Y. chimed in response _ . _

Tony made her way to the wardrobe and pulled out an old MIT hoodie from the highest shelf. She had them folded and stored out of reach. It was from her time on the Robotics team, with her name and the number 19 embossed on the back. Tony quickly made her way back to the bathroom, placing the sweatshirt along with the rest of Peter’s clothes sat on the counter by the sink. She then reached under the sink for her definitely overpriced bubble bath. 

“This has a strong scent, so smell it and let me know if you don’t like it so I can get you a different one,” Tony said, handing out the bubble bath to him. Peter excitedly hopped off the toilet, the towel dropping and pooling onto the floor. At that, Tony’s gaze immediately flew to the opposite wall. But then she noticed Peter didn’t seem to mind at all that he was completely nude in front of her. Either way, she kept her eyes off the boy in her own discomfort. Peter came up and brought the soap up to his nose, taking a tentative sniff.

“Yeah, ‘s good, mama,” Peter nodded.

“Okay,” Tony hummed and brought the soap to the running bath. She poured a small amount, watching the tub fill with lavender-scented bubbles. 

“Yay!” Peter squealed in excitement, bouncing where he was standing. Tony stood and picked up Peter’s towel for him, hanging it on a towel rack for him to grab once he’s done.

“You excited?” Tony smiled, filled with joy at the boy’s excitement.

“Bubbles!” was all Peter exclaimed in reply.

Tony chuckled and turned off the running water, satisfied with the amount of water in the tub.

“Okay, it’s ready for you,” Tony said, gesturing for Peter to enter the tub. Peter did a tiny dance in excitement before tentatively stepping into the tub and taking a seat. The warm bubbly water was just high enough to engulf him from the shoulders down. He settled onto his butt and wiggled in another little excited dance. Tony giggled at the sight and brushed some curls out of Peter’s eyes.

Peter leaned back to rest on the porcelain and sighed. His eyes fluttered shut and he smiled before humming in content. 

“Feels good?” Tony smiled at him warmly. Peter opened his eyes and flashed her a dopey smile.

“Yeah,” Peter replied, “I like the warm.”

“Well, you might want to clean yourself quickly,” Tony suggested, “The water’s going to get cold after a while.”

“Okay,” Peter nodded, sitting up and looking at Tony expectantly.

“Here,” Tony said before grabbing a clean washcloth and her expensive body soap and handing it to the boy, “You can do it yourself, right?”

“Yeah,” Peter replied immediately, “Mommy stay, though. Right?”

“Yeah, baby,” Tony said, “I’ll sit here while you do that. Okay?”

“Okay,” Peter nodded again, taking the items in is hands and began to wash himself. Tony sat with her back against the tub, facing the bathroom door, giving Peter his privacy while also providing him the comfort of her presence. After a few moments, the bathroom was quiet save for Peter’s light humming and soft swishing and splashing of the water. Tony smiled as she listened. She found value in every moment Peter spent feeling content. 

If the boy felt safe and was happy, then Tony was over the moon. Even with it just being the first day, Tony knew she could do this. She loved Peter so much, she refused to mess this up. When things get tough, as she’s certain they will, she’ll be sure to think back to this moment. Tony will have to remind herself that as long as she acts out of love, everything will be fine. That’s easy enough, considering how much love she had for the boy.

She could do this. She’s going to do this. 


	7. six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the wait! so much has been happening!
> 
> A/N at the end of the fic is pretty triggering but it's my honest feelings and a bit of an explanation for the large gaps in updates. don't read it if you're sensitive to depression, suicidal thoughts, ableism, and emotional crisis.
> 
> thanks!

Peter continued to lightly swish and splash water around for a few minutes before he broke the silence.

“Mama,” Peter whined, “Need help.”

“With what, angel?” Tony asked, slightly taken aback by just how loving and gentle her voice was.

“My hair,” Peter grumbled, “Always get soap in my eyes.”

“No problem,” Tony smiled and turned to him before standing. She knew there was a detachable showerhead under the sink from when the tub was installed. Tony had insisted she didn’t need it and chucked it in the cupboard, leaving it to just collect dust. She grabbed the showerhead and plugged it into the appropriate tube before turning on the water. She ran the running water over her hand, allowing it to warm up a bit before turning back to the boy.

“Okay,” She said as she knelt down to get closer, “Put your head back, please.”

Peter did as he was told, looking at Tony with wide yet trusting eyes. He rested his head into her waiting palm and allowed her to spray his hair and scalp with warm water. Tony smiled at the boy before saying,

“Okay, I’m going to let go and start washing your hair. So you have to hold your head up, okay?”

“Okay, mama,” Peter nodded.

Tony hummed and removed her hand from the back of Peter’s head, using the now free hand to lightly massage his scalp with warm water. Once she was satisfied, she put down the showerhead, smiling at how Peter picked it up. He looked at it in his hands before he curiously sprayed himself in the face. The water startled him, and he looked up at Tony with eyes wide in fear.

“It’s okay, Petey,” Tony assured him, “It’s just water, kiddo.”

Peter said nothing, electing to set the showerhead back down. Tony then flipped the switch on it to keep it from spraying any more water. 

“Okay, come here,” She said, squirting some shampoo into the palms of her hands, “Let’s finish up so we can get you dry and cozy.”

“Okay,” Peter nodded compliantly, leaning his head back once again.

Tony then rubbed the shampoo into her hands, creating her desired sudsy texture before massaging her hands into Peter’s hair. The boy hummed pleasantly, closing his eyes and allowing the comforting hands to wash his hair. No one had bathed him like this since he was a kid. 

Mary and Richard were extra gentle when it came to baths since Peter had hated them as a baby and a toddler. When he moved in with May and Ben after his parents’ deaths, Ben was the one to sit with the boy as he bathed himself, only ever getting involved when Peter got soap in his eyes during moments like this. Soon enough, Peter felt he was old enough to shower on his own. Although Ben figured he was much too young to be left unsupervised, the 6-year-old insisted tearfully and refused to bathe altogether unless he was alone. 

Ben relented, noticing how skittish the boy was when it came to things like baths. In the first 2 years, he allowed Ben to sit in the bathroom with him but would throw a fit and refuse to bathe entirely if May even came close to the bathroom door. Ben figured it was because Peter was a boy and was still getting to know his new wife, May. Maybe he was just uncomfortable for a woman he didn’t know very well see him in the bath. Maybe that’s why he insisted he didn’t need anyone's help anymore. Maybe that’s why he was locking the bathroom door and spending more than an hour just standing there, fully clothed. Maybe. But before Ben could ever know for sure, before Peter could gather the courage to tell his uncle that May had been molesting and raping him for the last 9 years, the man died in the boy’s arms. And, of course, it only got worse from there.

“Alrighty,” Tony said softly, “Keep your head back, I’m going to rinse out the soap. Keep your eyes closed for me, bud.”

“Okay,” Peter nodded, squeezing his eyes shut and leaned his head back to rest on Tony’s palm once again.

With one hand, the billionaire retrieved the showerhead, flipped the switch, and started to rinse the shampoo out of the boy’s hair. Tony smiled as Peter smiled and hummed at the feeling of the warm water on his scalp.

“You like that, bubba?” Tony giggled.

“Yeah” Peter confirmed with a slight nod, “Feels nice.”

Soon enough, his hair was free of any suds and Tony flipped the switch on the showerhead once more.

“Okay,” Tony stood to retrieve a towel, “All done!”

“Wanna stay,” Peter pouted. It was strange, he never liked baths before. But with Tony, he felt safe and warm. She reminded him of Mary, his mother. Mary always made baths fun by either tickling his tummy or engaging in the deep storyline of his rubber duck, Sir Quacks-a-lot, and his treacherous journey to save Princess Squidward. (Which was just the product of the time Peter brought a Squidward action figure into the bath with him and deemed it worthy enough to remain for bath time games.) 

“Baby, the water’s gonna get cold soon,” Tony said with a slight frown, holding out the towel.

“No, ‘s warm!” Peter cried.

“Yes,” Tony nodded, “But then it’ll get cold and I don’t want you to get sick.”

“Okay,” Peter grumbled, making a move to stand.

“Here,” Tony said, handing the boy the showerhead, “Rinse the bubbles off of your body, please.”

“‘S not working, mama,” Peter said as he tried to shake the thing to get the water to spray, “‘s broken.”

He held out the showerhead to her with wide eyes, fearing that he might have broken it.

“It’s not broken, it’s just switched off,” Tony replied gently before turning the switch for him, “See?”

“Yay!” Peter cheered before using the spraying water to rid himself of any remaining bubbles. Once he was satisfied, he handed the showerhead back to Tony, “All done!”

Tony smiled and turned the water off completely. She held out a towel in her open arms and wrapped it snugly around the boy. He held the ends of the towel in front of his chest and let it drape down his back like a cape.

“Squeaky clean,” Tony said, lightly pinching the boy’s cheek. Peter giggled and held his arms up to Tony while looking at her expectantly. Because he moved the towel, he was pretty much fully exposed to the genius. Tony just quirked her brow. Clearly, she was getting used to Peter not really minding being nude around her, but she wasn’t sure what he wanted.

“Up!” Peter called out, not moving from where he stood in the tub. Tony rolled her eyes playfully before picking the teen up and holding him on her hip. Peter wrapped his legs around her waist and laid his head on her shoulder. The carrying was short-lived, as Tony set the boy down to sit on her bathroom counter beside the sink. Peter frowned, looking at her confusedly. 

“We gotta brush your teeth, Bambi,” Tony said, reaching into her mirror cabinet for a spare toothbrush and her toothpaste, “Can you do it or do you want me to help you?”

“Mommy help,” Peter pouted, kicking his feet from where they dangled off the counter, “Please.”

“Of course,” Tony smiled, wetting the toothbrush and applying a small amount of toothpaste. She didn’t want to put too much in case Peter really was incapable of properly brushing his teeth and didn’t know to not swallow the toothpaste. 

“Okay,” Tony said, bringing the brush up to Peter’s lips, “Open up.”

Peter smiled widely, his teeth on full display. Tony went to work lightly brushing at his teeth and gums, mindful not to be too rough with the boy. She scrubbed around, coaxed him to open up so she could brush his tongue before she was done. If someone had told past Tony she would be manually brushing a 15-year-old’s teeth, a 15-year-old that isn’t even biologically hers… she’d demand to know what they were smoking; and depending on the year, she’d ask for some herself. She figured being in the situation she was in currently would make her incredibly incredible, but she couldn’t help but feel like everything was right in what she was doing. Tony was taking care of and helping a boy who needed her, a boy who loved her very much, a boy she loved with her whole heart, a boy she’d do anything for; teeth brushing being the least of efforts she’d put forward for the boy.

“Alright,” Tony said, “Rinse.”

Tony handed him a paper cup filled with water that Peter used to swish and spit. 

“All done!” Peter cheered with a bright smile. 

“All done,” Tony repeated with a nod and a smile, “Let’s get you dressed now.”

“Up!” Peter called again, holding his arms out for Tony. The genius rolled her eyes and hoisted the boy back onto her hip.

Tony smiled as she carried him into the master bedroom and laid him down on her bed. His hair was still very wet and dripping onto her comforter, but she couldn’t find it in herself to care. Tony adjusted the towel around him so he was properly covered up before she went back into the bathroom to get the clean clothes she had collected for the boy earlier.

Upon entering her room, she saw Peter laid on her bed as he absentmindedly toyed with the edges of his towel. His legs kicking lightly as he hummed to what must have been the theme song to a cartoon he had on his mind.

“Okay, sweetheart,” Tony said, “Let’s get you all cozy.”

“I do it!” Peter exclaimed, sitting up and taking the clothes from Tony’s hands. Tony smiled and turned to face the opposite wall, again, to give the boy some privacy. She stood and listened to the quiet rustling of clothes and small grunts of exertion coming from the boy as he wrestled his clothes on. It wasn’t long before a small whine came from behind her.

“Mommy, stuck!” 

Tony turned around to see Peter almost fully dressed, save for the hoodie that he just couldn’t seem to get right. His face was barely poking out of the head hole and his arms were stuck in the torso. Tony had to bite back a laugh as she adjusted the sweatshirt to fit snuggly.

“There you go, champ,” Tony smiled before taking the discarded towel and gently fluffing the boy’s still wet hair with it. 

“Do you feel better now, Pete?” Tony asked. The boy hummed in affirmation as he toyed with the front hem of Tony’s sweatshirt that he was wearing.

“Thank you, Ms. Stark,” Peter said quietly. Tony really had to tune-in to when and why Peter went back and forth between teen and tot.

“Of course, kiddo,” Tony said softly, “What do you wanna do today? It’s just you and me until Happy gets here with your stuff.”

“My stuff?” Peter repeated curiously.

“Yeah, I sent him to your apartment to get your things,” Tony said, setting down the towel and running her fingers through his slightly damp curls, “Maybe you and I can get some shopping done. Order some food, clothes, school stuff, whatever you need.”

“Okay, Ms. Stark,” Peter nodded, “That sounds okay.”

“Or we can just hang out,” Tony shrugged, “Watch movies and veg out in the living room.”

“I’d like that,” Peter gave a small smile.

“Okay,” Tony smiled at him before holding out her hand to him. He took it and allowed her to help him up and off the bed. They walked to the common room, Peter leaning his weight onto Tony’s side with her arm wrapped around his shoulder.

“What do you want to watch, kiddo?” Tony asked as Peter flopped onto the couch with a content sigh.

“Umm,” Peter pondered as he squirmed to find the best position, “Don’t know.”

“Can we cuddle?” Peter asked hesitantly, his eyes glued to his hands.

“Like you have to ask,” Tony scoffed, taking a seat beside the boy and wrapping her arms around him. Peter snuggled up on her side and rested his head on her collarbone with a small smile, “Thank you, Ms. Stark.”

“How about you call me Tony now? I feel like we’re well past ‘Ms. Stark,’ right?” Tony said with a smile.

“O-okay,” Peter nodded. The two were silent for a moment before Peter asked in a small voice, “Does it- do you hate it when I call you my mommy? It’s weird, right? It makes you uncomfortable, doesn’t it?”

“It’s not weird,” Tony said immediately, hugging the boy closer to her chest. Peter sighed softly as he burrowed his face into the crook of her neck, “Your mind isn’t 15 when that happens, it’s much younger. Young enough that you’d call me, or someone like me, ‘mommy.’ And I definitely don’t hate it.”

“You don’t?” Peter asked, his voice indicating surprise.

“Not at all,” Tony hummed in affirmation, “I love you, kiddo. Being a mother to you is a very honorable thing.”

“I love you too,” Peter replied, “Thank you for keeping me safe, Mo- uh- Tony.”

“Of course, sweetheart,” Tony smiled, pressing a kiss to the boy’s hair, “I’ll always keep you safe.”

Peter sighed in relief, hugging the woman tightly.

“You know, Pete,” Tony began rubbing a hand up and down the boy’s back, “You can call me Mom when you’re big too.”

“R-really?” Peter squawked, looking up at her with his doe eyes.

“Of course you can,” Tony shrugged, “You call me whatever you want, kiddo.”

“ _ Whatever _ I want?” Peter asked, a grin forming on his face, “Like buttface?”

“Okay, you little brat,” Tony chuckled, tickling under the boy’s chin, causing him to giggle and squirm in her grasp.

“O-okay!” Peter gasped out between laughs, “Okay, Mama!”

Tony then halted her assault on the boy to let themselves catch their breath. Peter huffed and puffed, his head lazily resting on Tony’s chest with a smile on his face. His eyes were glossing over as he snuggled closer to Tony.

“Thank you, Ms. Stark,” Peter said softly, “I’ve always wanted a mommy. A nice one, like you.”

Tony’s heart fluttered. She smiled and hugged him tighter, pressing a kiss to his temple.

“You have me now, bambino,” Tony said softly. Peter hummed in affirmation, loving the feeling of her warm hug. They sat in silence for a few long minutes.

“Do you want to watch something, Pete?” Tony asked gently. Peter squirmed in Tony’s grasp, reaching for one of her hands to play with her fingers.

“Migh’y B,” Peter mumbled quietly. Tony smiled, she figured she had her baby boy back now. She combed her fingers with her unoccupied hand through his curls before pressing a kiss to his forehead.

“You heard him, Fri,” Tony called out. Without a word, The Mighty B resumed on the television, Peter’s gaze immediately focusing on it. He still absentmindedly toyed with the woman’s fingers as he watched vigilantly as Bessie attempted to contract the chickenpox virus. Peter’s mouth was slightly open as the episode progressed, and towards the end of the episode, Peter was laid with his whole weight against Tony, his eyes heavily lidded.

“Getting tired, honey?” Tony asked, rubbing her hand up and down his back soothingly. Peter shot upright, shaking his head, “No, not tired.”

“It’s okay, Petey. You can take a nap if you’re tired,” Tony said quietly.

“No,” Peter pouted, “Don’ wanna.”

“Okay,” Tony sighed, continuing the rubbing motion on his back. Peter’s lids continued to droop before he gave in and rested his head on Tony’s chest. Tony smiled, pressing a kiss to the boy’s head and hugging him tightly. Peter absentmindedly slipped a thumb into his mouth as he attempted to keep his eyes open and watch the screen. But soon enough, the soothing arms around him and the rhythmic sucking on his thumb lulled him to sleep.

Tony just kept her arms around the boy, allowing him to snooze peacefully. She was so comforted by seeing Peter feel so comfortable around her, that he trusted her with his entire being to keep him safe. So much so, that while Tony wanted to get up and call her lawyers (and probably Pepper and Rhodey), or get some online shopping done to accommodate having Peter here full-time, (Maybe even get the boy some toys, fluffy pajamas, or maybe even sippy cups and appropriately sized pacifiers.) she didn’t want to let go of him or leave him alone. Tony realized she’s most comfortable with the boy in her arms.

She pressed another kiss to the boy’s forehead and just sat to let the boy sleep. He’s always had trouble getting restful sleep, even when he spent nights with Tony in the tower. So for him to nap soundly, Tony was over the moon.

“Volume down three notches, Fri,” Tony said softly. The AI complied, silently lowering the volume to allow the boy to sleep.

-

It was only about a half-hour later when Peter awoke with a guttural whine. Tony hugged the boy tighter, despite her body being full of fatigue from holding him for so long. Peter squirmed to sit upright and rub at his eye with one hand, the other still had his thumb planted firmly in his mouth.

“Did you sleep well, baby?” Tony asked softly. Peter nodded drowsily, plopping his head back down on her shoulder. “Still tired, then?”

Peter shook his head, pulling his thumb out of his mouth with a small ‘pop.’ He sat upright and looked up at Tony with tired eyes and swollen lips. 

“Gotta pee,” Peter slurred out, bouncing where he sat.

“Okay,” Tony nodded, “Bathroom’s just over there, Pete.”

Tony pointed down the hallway where there were at least two whole bathrooms that she  _ knew _ Peter knew was there. Peter just whined, bouncing more urgently in his seat and looking at Tony with pleading eyes.

“What’s wrong, baby boy?” Tony asked, her brows furrowed in concern.

“Mommy come?” Peter asked hopefully. Tony sighed, running her fingers through his soft curls.

“Sure,” Tony nodded, standing and stretching her fatigued muscles, “I’ll stand right outside the door, okay?”

Peter stood up quickly and his hands immediately shot to his crotch, his knees knocking together. He clearly was aching to relieve himself. Tony urgently led the boy to the nearest bathroom, opening the door and attempting to usher him in.

“Mommy!” Peter whined, “Come wif’! Please!”

“Okay, Peter,” Tony replied, “Come on, honey. Go potty before you make a mess on yourself.”

Peter rushed over to the toilet and whipped the seat up. Tony stood near the door, her back facing the boy. She could hear him whine and rustle with his sweatpants.

“Mommy!” Peter cried, his voice on the verge of tears. Tony turned around.

“What is it, Peter?” Tony asked.

“Can’t take ‘em off!” Peter shouted, his hands pulling desperately at the front of his pants.

“Here,” Tony sighed, untying the drawstring on his sweatpants and pulling them down slightly. She figured that was as far as she was meant to go, and refused to help him any further without him asking her to.

“There. You can do it now, right?” Tony asked.

Peter just tore his underwear down and sighed in relief as he was able to finally empty his bladder, narrowly avoiding making a mess for him and Tony to deal with. 

Tony also sighed in relief. She wasn’t sure she’d be able to handle a teary Peter after having wet his pants, not right now, anyway. He was already tired, so peeing his pants would most likely lead to a temper tantrum. 

Peter finished up, tucking himself back into his underwear and pulling his sweatpants up onto his waist. He flushed the toilet and turned to Tony expectantly.

“All done, mama,” Peter said. Tony replied, “Okay, now you have to wash your hands.”

The genius turned to the sink and turned on the water, allowing it to warm up before turning to the boy and beckoning him over. Peter came over and held his arms out to Tony, who rolled his sleeves up and then pumped some soap into his hands.

“Wet your hands a bit, then scrub them together really good, okay?” Tony asked.

“Okay,” Peter nodded determinedly, running his hands briefly under the water before rubbing his hands together to lather them in suds. He decided he’d keep scrubbing until Tony told him he did a good enough job.

“Alright, that’s good, sweetheart,” Tony said, pushing the boy’s elbows forward to get his hands underneath the running water. “Okay, all done!” Peter said cheerily. Tony turned off the water and grabbed a hand towel and dried the boy’s hands for him.

“Good job, Petey Pie,” Tony said kindly. Peter flashed her a wide smile in response. Tony, admittedly, knew nothing about childcare. It wasn’t entirely her fault, she just didn’t really have many good examples. Not any, if she really thought about it. That, paired with her childhood trauma leading her to believe that she’d never have her own family, made learning anything about taking care of a small impressionable person not worth her time. But praising and comforting Peter came easily. Tony figured if she just gave the boy everything she wished her parents would do for her as a kid, plus whatever he asked of her, she’d be in the clear. That part seemed easy enough.

“Thank you, Mommy,” Peter said sweetly. Tony smiled at the boy, leading him back to the common room.

“How about some shopping, Pete?” Tony asked.

“For what?” Peter asked, his attention turned back to the television that still had The Mighty B playing on it.

“Some food, some clothes, you need some stuff here, kiddo,” Tony replied, grabbing her Starkpad from the coffee table.

“Can we go to the grocery store?” Peter asked hopefully, his eyes never leaving the screen.

“Is that what you want?” Tony asked, with a quirked brow, “We can get it all delivered so we can stay here.”

“Okay,” Peter sighed, a tinge of disappointment evident in his voice.

“If you want to go, we can go. Whatever you want, angel. I just want to make sure you’re comfortable.” Tony replied. Peter turned to the woman, his fingers tugging lightly on his lower lip.

“Wanna go,” Peter said, “Like’ta see the stuff.”

Tony nodded understandingly, “Okay, then we’ll get ready in a little bit and we’ll go to the grocery store. Did you want to go and shop for your clothes too? You’ll be able to try stuff on if we go out to do it.”

“Yeah!” Peter replied cheerfully. Tony was surprised, she was almost certain Peter would want to stay with her in the tower for at least the rest of today, if not for the next few days. She worried about having to drag Peter out soon to get him some fresh air, or when he would inevitably have to go to talk to more police or lawyers and such. Yet, here he was on the first day  _ asking _ to go out to shop. 

He and Tony had done that before. It was the day before his English class had a potluck, just a couple of months ago. Tony had shown up to the school that Wednesday to a very pouty Peter. Upon questioning, Peter had told Tony he never was able to participate in potlucks in school, because he was never able to bring anything. The image of her mentee sitting in class while everyone else got to indulge in crappy snack foods and subpar pizza made the genius frown. Just because they were pointless to her, didn’t mean they weren’t fun for kids. Tony had figured it was a money issue, that May could barely afford to feed her only kid, let alone 30 of them. Even just for one day, that was a lot to ask for a single guardian working on minimum wage; in New York of all places. 

So, before they even went back to the tower, Tony pulled into the nearest grocery store. She had to physically drag the boy inside, urging him to follow.

_ “I draw the line at pushing the cart, kid,”  _ Tony had told him,  _ “Get whatever you want, my treat.” _

Peter tried to argue. He had enough trouble accepting Tony buying  _ himself _ food, so the idea of her buying stuff for his entire class was just out of the question. But, as usual, Tony stood her ground and insisted.

_ “I don’t want something like this keeping you from having a good time with your peers, especially when I can so easily take care of it.” _ Tony rolled her eyes, already piling in sugary and fattening treats in herself. She tried arming the boy with cookies, cupcakes, donuts, chips, soda, fruit snacks, little pigs in a blanket, amongst other school potluck type foods even though Peter explained that he just needed to bring one thing, enough for 30 people.

As stubborn as she was when Peter went into school that next day, he saw his English class had a large banquet table full of miscellaneous treats and finger foods beyond what Peter had actually agreed to let her get. He shook his head and smiled, knowing Ms. Stark would always go above and beyond for a party (or just for him).

Now, going to the grocery store would be a little different. Emphasis on little. Tony wasn’t sure if Peter would age up before they left the tower. And if he did, she didn’t know how long he’d stay 15. She had no idea if he was okay being regressed while in public. Tony’d only ever had him in the tower during times that he was. 

She wondered if he’d go back to being a four-year-old while in the middle of a grocery store or the mall she planned on taking him to get clothes, and call her “mommy” in public, or cry, or suck his thumb or… 

Goodness, this whole ordeal was stressful. But when all is said and done, Tony couldn’t care less about what the people around them thought about her and Peter. She’ll be damned if a bunch of strangers made her boy feel embarrassed for his brain using a totally healthy and commonly used coping mechanism to deal with intense and prolonged trauma. Therefore, worry began to fade quickly.

“Mommy,” Peter said, looking away from the television to stare at Tony with wide eyes, “We go now?”

“Do you want to go now?” Tony asked as she had told him they’d wait a little bit before getting ready to leave. But, to a toddler, patience was extremely limited.

“Yeah,” Peter smiled excitedly, “Wan’ go now.”

“Okay,” Tony replied, grabbing the boy’s hand, “Let’s get dressed in some outside clothes, then we can go, okay?”

“Okay,” Peter nodded, practically skipping beside the genius as she led him to his bedroom. Tony went through his wardrobe again, thankful to find some track pants. She held them out to the boy and figured he could get away with just changing his pants, and most likely the hoodie as to not draw attention to the fact that she was Tony Stark with a teenager wearing her hoodie from college. Boy, that’d get some attention.

“How about a different hoodie, Pete?” Tony asked, looking at the boy with a smile.

“But,” Peter pouted, tugging at the hem of the sweatshirt, “I like this one. ‘s Mommy’s. Smells like her.”

“You can wear another one of mine, sweetie,” Tony replied with a nod, “Just one without Mommy’s name on it. Otherwise, people might bother us if they know it’s me. Do you understand?”

“Yeah,” Peter nodded miserably, “Okay, mommy.”

“Okay, sweet boy,” Tony smiled, cupping Peter’s cheek with her hand. She rubbed her thumb across his cheekbone. The boy leaned into the touch and sighed with content.

“You change your pants, and I’ll get you another sweatshirt,” Tony said, making her way to her own bedroom. Peter changed his pants quickly and followed close behind, not wanting to be apart from the woman.

Tony reached into her closet and grabbed a sweatshirt that looked inconspicuous. It was from a trip to Italy, about six years ago. Pepper had gotten it for Tony as a gag gift. It was white, with a stereotypical touristy “I [HEART] ITALY” printed on the front, the heart colored like the Italian flag. It made Tony shake her head and feign offense that Pepper would ever expect Tony to be caught dead in such an awful garment. And yet, Tony wore it the following morning on their way to brunch, silently daring Pepper to comment on it. She didn’t, just smiled brightly.

Tony wears it every now and then, whenever she misses Pepper.

“How’s this one?” Tony asked, holding it in front of Peter. The boy came forward, running his hands over the fabric thoughtfully. Then, he silently stepped closer and pressed his face into the hood and took a small inhale. He retracted before nodding with a smile.

“Yeah, ‘s good,” Peter replied, taking the hoodie into his hands.

“Okay,” Tony nodded, grabbing herself some clothes. Since this was supposed to be a low-key outing, she opted for black leggings and another hoodie. Tony always ran cold, so she had a large stash of hoodies from all types of origin. Some designer and ridiculously priced, some ‘borrowed’ from Rhodey during college, some from her ex (but those remained buried in the back of the closet, not touched in months), all well-loved.

“How about you change your sweatshirt? I’ll change real fast and then we can go.” Tony said to Peter who nodded. He then attempted to pull the sweatshirt he was wearing up and over his head to replace it with the new one Tony gave him. Like before, Peter got stuck and almost began to panic. He whined and tried to yank the garment off of himself.

Tony shushed him and gently worked it off of him, “It’s okay, baby. I got you.”

“Thank you, mommy,” Peter huffed sadly, shaking his hair out.

“Do you need help putting the other one on?” Tony asked.

“Yeah,” Peter mumbled with a pout.

“Okay, arms up,” Tony smiled, taking the sweatshirt in her hands. The boy complied, lifting his arms into the air. Tony slipped the sweatshirt onto him, adjusting the hood and sleeves to fit him properly.

“There you are,” Tony smiled at Peter, “Looking great.”

“Thank you,” Peter smiled sweetly, a light blush spreading across his face.

“I’m gonna change,” Tony said, “Then we can get going soon. Okay?”

“Okay, mama,” Peter nodded, still looking up at Tony expectantly.

“How about you finish watching some Mighty B, and I’ll be right out,” Tony suggested. She wanted to feel bad about how much TV Peter had been watching today. Tony remembered hearing somewhere that too much TV for children was detrimental to their development, or something dumb like that. To be fair, Peter’s brain was far more developed than an actual 4-year-old, since he was 15. But still, the mind of a toddler could be easily influenced by television… Either way, from what Tony had seen from The Mighty B in particular, she approved of it… for both 4-year-old Peter and 15-year-old Peter.

“But,” Peter pouted again, “Don’t go, mama.”

“I’m just going to change in the bathroom, sweetheart. You can go watch cartoons and you won’t even notice I’m not next to you,” Tony soothed, placing a hand on the boy’s shoulder. It was clear he was very dependent and had some sort of separation anxiety, not wanting to be even a few feet away from the billionaire.

“No,” Peter shook his head desperately, “Stay.”

“Okay,” Tony sighed, “How about you sit here,”

Tony led Peter to her bed, patting down a spot for him to sit on.

“And you wait for me,” Tony nodded to the door, “I'll be right in there, okay?”

“Mommy be fast?” Peter asked with unsure eyes, wringing his hands nervously.

“I’ll be so fast,” Tony began, semi-seriously, “You won’t even notice I’m gone.”

“I will,” Peter mumbled miserably, his eyes downcast, “‘m gonna miss you, mama.”

Tony sighed before pulling the boy into a tight hug and pressing a kiss to his forehead.

“I’ll be really fast, baby boy,” Tony smiled, “I promise.”

Peter nodded and took a seat on the bed, “Okay. I wait here.”

“Okay, sweetheart,” Tony nodded, “I’ll be right out.”

“Okay, mommy,” Peter nodded again, kicking his legs from where they dangled off the bed.

Tony took her chance and slipped into the bathroom. She quickly changed into her clothes before rinsing the leftover coffee taste from her mouth with mouthwash. Since Peter was still quiet, she figured she’d take a chance and wash her face. It wasn’t until after that when Tony was in the middle of brushing out her hair that she heard a distressed, “Mommy!” from the bedroom.

She quickly went to bolt out of the bathroom, her hair a total mess. But, upon trying the door, it immediately stuck as something blocked its way from swinging out.

“Peter?” Tony called out.

“Mommy!” Peter squealed as he scrambled back. He had been sitting at the door, waiting for Tony to finish up. He plopped back onto his butt, looking up at the woman with tears in his eyes.

“What happened, baby?” Tony asked, crouching to get closer to his level. Peter sprung up, wrapping his arms around her neck and hugging her tightly.

“Not fast,” Peter cried, “Too long.”

“Oh,” Tony grimaced, “I’m sorry, Peter. I didn’t mean to take so long.”

“‘Sokay,” Peter croaked, “Jus’ missed you.”

“I know, bubba,” Tony sighed, “How about you sit with me while I finish up?”

“Yeah,” Peter pretty much demanded with a pout on his face as he tried to quickly wipe the tears from his eyes.

“Okay,” Tony inhaled as she hoisted the boy in her arms up and onto her hip. She carried him back into the bathroom with her, sitting him on the counter. Tony pressed a kiss to his forehead before returning to her hair. Peter just sat with his dangling legs swinging as he babbled absentmindedly, counting the tiles on the floor or something. Then, he was quiet, his eyes turned to Tony and he looked at her intently. Peter slipped his pointer finger into his mouth, lightly biting on the tip.

“Mommy hair pretty,” Peter mumbled around his finger. Tony smiled at the boy, “Thank you, bambino.”

Tony had been bleaching her hair blonde since she was a teenager. When she went away to her last boarding school before college, she snuck off of campus to the salon she’d noticed when she last was allowed in town. Tony used the credit card Howard provided for “books” and “food” and “project materials,” but Tony used it for however she’d seen fit. (Until about two months later, when her father had first seen her hair. He canceled all lines of credit available to her after that.) 

Tony dyed her hair because she wanted to be closer to Maria. She’d always forced herself not to gag whenever someone would tell her how much she looked like Howard. That was the  _ last  _ thing Tony wanted. So, she left campus with just a credit card and a photo of her mother.

_ “Make me look like her,” She told the woman clipping on the styling cape. _

_ “You already do,” The hairdresser smiled warmly, taking the photo into her hand and looking at it fondly, “Is this your mother?” _

_ “Yes, she’s the most beautiful woman to ever live,” Tony replied simply, “Want to be just like her, someday.” _

_ “Alright, gorgeous,” The woman chuckled, gathering the supplies necessary to lighten Tony’s dark hair, “Let’s do this.” _

It wasn’t long after that, that Tony began to fully resent Maria for her inaction throughout her childhood. But, the blonde hair quickly became apart of her own image. An appearance belonging entirely to her, instead of her parents. Tony felt happiest when she was blonde. And damn it, she just felt prettier as a blonde. Her and Rhodes experimented with hair dye throughout college, but she always felt herself when she was blonde. So, for that, a blonde she remained.

“I like it,” Peter said, looking back at his bare feet.

“Aren’t you just a charmer,” Tony shook her head playfully as she braided her hair back. Her fringe left to fall plainly. She planned on wearing a beanie anyway, so her hair didn’t matter all too much. 

“Okay,” Tony said, turning to Peter, “We gotta get your socks and shoes on and then we can head out. Sound good?”

“Yeah!” Peter cheered, looking down at the floor seemingly wanting to hop down off the counter. But, he looked hesitant and fearful and decided to just silently ask his mommy to pick him up, his arms outstretched. Tony giggled and picked the boy up again. She’d have to keep up her workout routine if she was going to have to carry a 15-year-old this much. But, of course, she couldn’t find it in herself to mind. The weight in her arms relieved the weight in her chest. Feeling Peter safe and happy in her grasp was worth the potential fatigue and/or back strain. There’s nothing in the world she’d trade for being able to hold her boy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you don't read my other fic, Caring Accommodations, then you dont know about my shit-show of a life! Thanksgiving was crazy (I became a godfather), then less than 2 weeks later, I was forced to move from a city and living situation that was the healthiest I've ever been in, back to my toxic and ableist home with my family! I honestly considered killing myself because when I left here, i always said I'd die before ever coming back. I now have no job, no health insurance, and no will to live! I've never felt so alone and discarded by friends in my life! I'm certainly at a major low-point and writing, as cathartic and fun as it can be, is super hard at the moment. I don't have a plan to stop writing, but please understand the stress and just... agony... I'm currently in. y'all deserve better than my excuses but... it's really all I can offer. I really wish this wasn't happening. Moving is hard as it is, moving to another state, in less than two weeks, to somewhere so bad for me... God, it's just been rough...
> 
> ANYWAY, thanks for your continued support. It means a lot. x


End file.
